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ith  the  AdmiraJ 

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of   the 

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WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE 
OCEAN    SEA 

a  Narrative  of  tijE  first  Fogage  to  tfjc  TOtortctn  Motto 


DRAWN   MAINLY  FROM    THE   DIARY   OP 
CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS 


BY 

CHARLES   PAUL  MAC  KIE 


When  newes  were  brought  that  Don  Christopher  Colonus,  the 
Genoese,  had  discovered  the  coasts  of  India,  whereof  was  great  talke 
in  all  the  Court  of  King  Henry  the  7,  who  then  raigned,  ...  all  men 
with  great  admiration  affirmed  it  to  be  a  thing  more  divine  than 
humane,  to  saile  by  the  West  into  the  Easte,  where  the  spices  growe, 
by  a  chart  that  was  never  before  knowen.  —  SEBASTIAN  CABOT 


CHICAGO 

A.   C.   McCLURG   AND   COMPANY 
1891 


COPYRIGHT, 
BY  A.  C.  MCCLURG  AND  Co. 

A.  D.    1891. 


All  rights  reserved. 


TO 


Jfriente  in  tfje  Unitetj  States 


RECOGNITION  OF  MANY  KINDNESSES  RECEIVED 
IN  SOUTHERN  SEAS. 


PREFACE. 


IN  preparing  this  narrative  we  have  preferred  to  deal  only 
with  the  accounts  left  by  Columbus  himself  and  those 
directly  associated  with  him  in  the  enterprise  which  placed 
him  among  the  true  Immortals.  Our  effort  has  been,  by 
following  as  closely  as  might  be  the  language  of  the  actual 
participants,  to  present  a  living  picture  of  the  events  con 
nected  with  that  stupendous  achievement.  If  in  so  doing 
we  have  lost  somewhat  of  the  dignity  of  graver  methods, 
and  departed  in  sundry  particulars  from  those  presentations 
of  the  great  exploit  which  are  deservedly  familiar,  our 
apology  is  that  we  have  adopted  the  errors  of  the  actors 
themselves.  It  has  seemed  well  to  the  critical  spirit  of  our 
day  to  question  the  accuracy  of  Columbus  in  more  than  one 
respect ;  but  that  he  and  those  who  were  his  fellow-workers 
by  land  and  sea  did  not  faithfully  relate  what  passed  in  con 
nection  with  the  discovery  of  the  Indies,  we  have  not  the 
temerity  to  assume.  Their  written  reports  and  the  testi 
mony  given  by  many  of  them  under  oath  lie  before  us  as 
we  write,  and  we  have  found  no  cause  to  doubt  the  exact 
ness  of  their  contents.  That  these  reports  are  seldom  ar 
tistic,  often  confused,  and  not  infrequently  prolix  in  what 
now  appear  to  be  trivial  matters,  may  be  with  propriety 
alleged ;  but  our  object  would  not  be  attained  were  we  to 
trim  the  language  of  the  Admiral  and  his  companions  to 
suit  our  ideas  of  proportion.  They  planned  the  voyage  and 


vi  PREFACE. 

made  it,  and  we  are  content  to  follow  their  account  of  what 
befell. 

The  diary,  letters,  and  other  remaining  writings  of  Co 
lumbus  picture  for  us  with  rare  fidelity  the  man  himself.  As 
we  turn  over  their  leaves  and  read  his  words,  —  penned  in 
a  Latin,  Spanish,  or  Italian  whose  very  want  of  polish  is  its 
most  palpable  charm,  —  their  author  ceases  to  be  a  char 
acter  in  history  about  the  disposition  of  whose  bones  fierce 
controversies  have  raged,  and  becomes  once  more  the  earnest 
student,  skilful  mariner,  and  fearless  explorer  whose  acts 
have  freed  his  memory  from  limitations  of  time  and  place. 
We  feel,  as  we  follow  his  artless  periods,  that  we  are  looking 
past  the  pen  into  the  heart  of  the  man,  and  recall  with  a 
new  appreciation  that  he  was  the  contemporary  of  the  Great 
Captain  and  of  Bayard  the  Matchless,  in  the  days  when 
great  deeds  were  simply  done  and  yet  more  simply  told  by 
their  doers.  Concerning  himself,  as  freely  as  concerning 
others,  he  relates  both  good  and  bad  alike ;  his  times  of  weak 
ness  as  well  as  of  strength,  his  failures  as  well  as  his  success. 
When  we  remember  that  nearly  all  of  his  existing  writings 
were  addressed  to  his  royal  patrons  of  Castile,  we  may  ad 
mire  the  naked  frankness  with  which  he  speaks,  while  we 
must  regret  the  simplicity  which  trusted  blindly  to  those  who 
would  so  naturally  regard  their  own  interest  rather  than 
their  servant's. 

Some  of  the  incidents  incorporated  in  our  narrative  have 
been  found  in  the  official  documents  bearing  upon  the  Dis 
covery  ;  others  are  drawn  from  the  testimony  in  the  law 
suit  brought  against  the  Spanish  Crown  after  the  death  of 
Columbus,  by  his  son  Diego,  for  the  full  recognition  in  the 
latter's  person  of  all  the  dignities  and  emoluments  origi 
nally  conferred  upon  his  father  but  in  later  years  so  greatly 
abridged  by  King  Ferdinand.  Whatever  the  source,  we 
have  confined  ourselves  to  the  evidence  of  eyewitnesses, 
and  have  desired  to  be  exact  rather  than  elaborate.  The 
conversations  attributed  to  the  Admiral  are  such  as  are  re 
ported,  by  himself  or  his  companions,  to  have  taken  place. 
In  his  diary  he  usually  entered  them  with  sufficient  fulness 


PREFACE.  vii 

to  permit  their  reconstruction ;  but  in  those  given  in  the 
prefatory  chapters,  which  are  merely  recorded  by  the  phy 
sician  Garcia  Fernandez  and  others  as  having  occurred, 
without  details  being  given,  we  have  put  into  dialogue  form 
such  extracts  from  Columbus's  letters  as  illustrate  his  attitude 
toward  the  subjects  discussed.  The  words  placed  in  his 
mouth  are,  in  this  case,  substantially  those  which  his  hand 
transcribed. 

No  large  portion  of  the  reading  public  has  either  the 
time  or  the  inclination  to  delve  into  the  many  tomes  which, 
chiefly  by  the  liberality  of  the  Spanish  Government  and  the 
devoted  labors  of  Munoz,  Navarrete,  and  their  successors, 
have  been  made  available  for  the  students  of  Columbus's  life 
and  works ;  and  yet,  if  we  are  not  wholly  in  error,  it  is  only 
from  these  original  sources  that  any  lifelike  conception  of 
the  great  discoverer's  character  can  be  formed.  It  is  to 
this  larger  world  of  readers,  who  would  gladly  read  the  story 
of  the  renowned  event  of  1492  in  the  words  of  the  chief 
actors,  that  our  narrative  is  addressed. 

The  Appendix  contains  a  few  notes  upon  the  main  points 
in  dispute  concerning  Columbus  and  his  career.  Without 
wishing  to  enter  into  matters  of  controversy,  it  has  seemed 
best  to  offer  this  small  contribution  toward  the  solution  of 
the  questions  at  issue. 

We  have  preferred  to  retain  the  Spanish  form  of  the 
Admirals  name,  Crist6val  Colon,  as  being  more  in  keep 
ing  with  the  spirit  of  our  narrative  than  the  anglicized 
Christopher  Columbus. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  FATHER  SUPERIOR'S  SAILOR  GUEST     .    .  11 

II.  THE  SHREWD  IDEA  OF  THE  YOUNG  PHYSICIAN  20 

III.  NOTABLE  MISSION  OF  THE  EX-PRIVATEERSMAN  32 

IV.  THE  FAMOUS  MULE  OF  JUAN  THE  HARD-HEADED  42 
V.  BARGAINING  FOR  A  WORLD 53 

VI.  "I,   THE    KING!"   AND    "I,   THE   QUEEN ! "        .      .  67 

VII.  THE  HEAVY  HAND  OF  JUAN  DE  PENALOSA      .  76 

VIII.  THE  SEA-BREEZE  OUTSIDE  THE  BAR    ....  89 

IX.  IN  THE  PATH  OF  THE  SUN 100 

X.  WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED 113 

XI.  UNDER  THE  BANNER  OF  THE  GREEN  CROSS    .  128 

XII.  AMONG  THE  ISLES  OF  IND 140 

XIII.  IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR  CATHAY 153 

XIV.  THE  EMBASSY  TO  WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN  .  166 
XV.  THE  EVIL  DEED  OF  MARTIN  ALONZO     .    .    .  180 

XVI.  ALPHA  AND  OMEGA 193 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVII.    His  UNCLAD  MAJESTY 207 

XVIII.    A  GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS 219 

XIX.    THE  FIRST  FRONTIERSMEN 233 

XX.    THE  RETURN  OF  THE  "PINTA" 247 

XXI.  NORTHEAST  BY  EAST,  FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMOR 
TALITY  264 

XXII.  "THERE  WERE  NO  TEMPESTS  IN  THE  INDIES"  279 

XXIII.    THE  GRACES  OF  CIVILIZATION 290 

XXIV.    KING  AND  COMMONS 302 

XXV.  HIGH  NOON  AND  THE  TIDE  AT  FLOOD     .    .  317 

XXVI.    AFTERWARD 329 


APPENDIX 343 


WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE 
OCEAN  SEA. 


I. 


THE   FATHER   SUPERIOR'S   SAILOR  GUEST. 

IN  the  little  refectory  of  a  tiny  Franciscan  convent,  dedi 
cated  to  Our  Lady  of  the  Madness,  which  still  stands 
in  the  remote  corner  of  Southern  Spain  where  our  narrative 
begins,  two  men  sat  conversing  earnestly  together  on  a  cer 
tain  sunny  afternoon  many  a  long  year  gone  by.  The  one, 
a  monk  wearing  the  coarse  gown  and  cowl  of  the  Order  of 
Saint  Francis,  was  rather  over  forty  years  of  age  ;  the  other, 
a  layman  clad  in  the  ordinary  dress  of  the  period,  —  some 
what  the  worse  for  wear  and  travel,  —  seemed  to  be  ten 
years  older.  Against  the  tall  back  of  the  chair  occupied  by 
the  older  man,  and  listening  respectfully  to  all  that  was  said, 
leaned  a  lad  of  thirteen  or  fourteen  years,  whose  features 
plainly  proved  him  to  be  his  son.  A  flagon  of  the  common 
red  wine  of  the  country  stood  on  the  table  before  them,  with 
the  remains  of  a  loaf  of  bread,  a  piece  of  cheese,  and  a 
broiled  fish,  —  evidence  that  some  one  had  been  eating,  al 
though  it  was  long  past  the  hour  for  the  simple  midday  meal 
of  the  worthy  friars. 

The  room  was  barren  of  all  ornament.     Its  only  furniture 
consisted  of  a  dozen  or  more  ponderous  chairs  and  stools, 


12         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

all  more  or  less  carved  and  covered  with  embossed  leather, 
which  stood  against  the  whitewashed  walls,  and  a  heavy 
table  of  some  hard  polished  wood  which  occupied  the  centre 
of  the  smooth  stone  floor.  Bare  though  it  was,  the  exqui 
site  cleanliness  of  everything  around  gave  to  the  room  an 
attractiveness  of  its  own,  which  was  heightened  by  the  con 
trast  between  the  fresh  coolness  of  its  shaded  atmosphere 
and  the  quivering  heat  of  the  glaring  Andalusian  sun  out 
side.  From  where  the  boy  was  standing  he  could  look 
through  the  open  doorway  into  the  little  courtyard  of  the 
convent,  where  the  fig-trees  and  pomegranates  stood  motion 
less  in  the  hot  sunshine ;  or,  by  turning  his  head,  could  see 
through  the  grated  windows  of  the  refectory  the  great  waves 
of  the  mighty  western  sea  lazily  rolling  landward,  waiting  to 
be  whipped  into  dancing  whitecaps  later  on  by  the  brisk 
breezes  of  the  afternoon.  But  as  he  listened  to  the  older 
men  before  him,  his  eyes  sought  oftenest  the  plain  of  heav 
ing  waters ;  for  their  talk  was  wholly  of  that  vast  world  of 
unknown  ocean  which  stretched  far  out  of  sight  toward  the 
setting  sun,  and  of  what  might  lie  beyond  the  level  mocking 
line  which  lay  between  sea  and  sky,  and  ever  receded,  as 
now  and  then  some  daring  sailor  sought  to  reach  its  limits 
and  learn  what  was  there  concealed. 

"  Your  Worship  is  not  of  Spain,  I  take  it,  Senor,"  the  monk 
had  said,  when  father  and  son  had  finished  their  light  meal ; 
"  if  I  do  not  offend  in  asking  the  question?  " 

"  No,  Father,"  the  layman  answered,  "  I  am  from  Genoa ; 
a  true  son  of  Saint  George,  —  may  he  ever  defend  me  ! " 
he  added,  crossing  himself  devoutly.1  "  I  was  born  Chris- 
toforo  Colombo,  though  here  in  Spain  men  call  me  Cristoval 
Colon ;  an  unworthy  servant,  ever  at  your  orders,  reverend 
sir." 

"  I  hold  myself  happy  in  knowing  your  Worship,  Senor 
Cristoval,"  the  monk  replied.  "The  sailors  of  our  coast 
here  often  speak  of  your  famous  voyages  to  distant  seas,  and 
I  have  heard  your  name  as  well  in  the  gossip  from  the  Court." 

1  For  Columbus's  statements  concerning  his  birthplace,  see  Note  A 
in  the  Appendix. 


THE  FATHER  SUPERIOR'S  SAILOR    GUEST.        13 

"  Your  own  kindness  exaggerates  my  deserts,  good  father," 
said  Colon.  "  Some  of  the  hardy  seamen  from  the  southern 
ports  have  sailed  with  me  on  voyages  of  some  length,  't  is 
true  ;  and  it  is  but  natural  that  they  should  bear  in  mind  the 
hard  knocks  and  scanty  fare  they  found  while  on  their  travels." 

"  Your  present  journey  is  not  a  long  one,  Senor  Cristoval, 
if  I  may  judge  by  your  boy  accompanying  you  ?  "  the  monk 
again  queried,  with  a  kindly  glance  at  the  young  lad  standing 
against  his  father's  chair. 

"  We  come  now  but  from  Seville,"  the  latter  responded  ; 
"  and  't  is  no  great  distance,  —  the  more  as  we  have  walked 
at  ease,  good  father.  Please  God,  our  journey  ends  at 
Huelva,  your  neighboring  town.  But  as  we  broke  our  fast 
betimes  this  morning,  and  have  still  some  hours  of  road  be 
fore  us,  we  have  trespassed  thus  upon  your  hospitality  which 
has  been  so  bountiful." 

"  You  must  stay  now  under  our  poor  roof,  Senor,  at  least 
until  your  boy  has  had  some  rest.  It  will  be  no  easy  thing 
to  reach  Huelva  this  evening ;  and  in  the  morning  we  can 
get  a  boatman  to  put  your  Worship  across  the  bay,  if  you 
needs  must  leave  us.  Whatever  Juan  Perez,  the  humble  su 
perior  of  this  little  cloister,  can  do  for  your  comfort,  worthy 
sir,  you  may  count  upon  as  already  done." 

"  I  thank  your  Reverence  warmly,"  Colon  replied  ;  "and 
we  will  tax  your  kindness  still  further,  since  you  are  so  good. 
But  Diego  here  is  no  court-bred  youngster  who  cannot  travel 
on  his  own  legs.  Which  were  the  harder  life  in  these  days 
of  war  on  sea  and  land,  the  life  of  the  camps  or  that  on 
shipboard,  it  were  not  easy  to  say ;  but  I  have  led  both  since 
he  was  born,  so  the  colt  has  learned  to  go  with  the  sire. 
Moreover,  his  lady-mother  —  may  God  give  her  rest !  —  came 
of  the  stoutest-hearted  stock  in  Portugal,  and  the  lad  should 
be  no  weakling.  Mayhap  you  know  one  Pedro  de  Muliar,  a 
townsman  of  Huelva,  reverend  father  ?  He  married  a  sis 
ter  of  my  dead  wife,  —  may  God  rest  her  soul !  —  and  't  is 
he  I  seek  on  this  present  journey." 

"  Seek  you  him,  Senor  ?  Then  I  greatly  fear  your  labor 
will  be  fruitless ;  for  only  lately  I  heard  it  said  he  was  going 


14    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

on  a  cruise  to  the  Levant,  with  a  brave  company  of  seamen 
from  our  neighboring  ports  along  shore,  —  Palos  and  Lepe  and 
Huelva  and  Ayamonte.  Still,  he  may  not  yet  have  sailed." 

A  shade  of  annoyance  crossed  the  frank  brow  of  Colon  at 
this  news. 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  me,  Father,"  he  said.  "  I  counted 
much  on  seeing  him  ;  and  God  only  can  tell  when  he  will  be 
back  now,  or  whether  at  all.  Who  sails  the  Mediterranean 
in  these  troublous  times,  be  he  Christian  or  Moor,  should 
leave  his  testament  ready  made  behind  him.  Yet  will  Pedro 
go  in  good  company,  for  stouter  men  never  handled  rope 
than  those  from  these  shores." 

He  sat  some  moments  in  silence,  looking  intently  at  the 
table.  Then,  turning  his  head  upward  toward  his  son,  he 
said,  — 

"  Well,  Diego,  my  son,  and  what  shall  I  do  with  thee, 
now  that  thine  uncle  is  gone  ?  It  were  too  long  a  journey 
to  take  thee  with  me  to  France." 

"  Yet  would  I  gladly  go,  Senor,  if  you  will  but  take  me," 
the  boy  replied  eagerly.  "  Surely  I  could  serve  you  well 
as  page,  and  help  you  often  in  your  journey." 

Colon  nodded,  seeming  pleased  with  the  lad's  spirit. 
Then  putting  his  hand  on  the  leathern  wallet  which  hung  at 
his  belt,  and  giving  it  a  shake,  he  said  with  a  touch  of 
bitterness,  — 

"  'T  is  scanty  fare  therein  for  one,  my  son,  and  I  should 
ne'er  see  his  Majesty  of  France  were  two  to  travel  on  it. 
The  lad  too  is  touched  with  the  madness  of  the  sea,"  he 
added,  half  sadly,  as  he  turned  again  to  the  friar. 

"  I  grieve  to  hear  you  speak  of  leaving  Spain,  Senor  Cris- 
toval,"  the  latter  answered.  "Surely  their  .Highnesses  our 
gracious  sovereigns  can  ill  spare  such  men  as  your  Wor 
ship  in  these  times  of  strife  and  trouble." 

Colon  raised  himself  erect  in  his  chair,  and  grasped  its 
carven  arms  nervously  with  his  hands,  as  he  looked  straight 
at  the  monk  out  of  his  clear  blue  eyes. 

"Their  Highnesses  of  Spain  have  no  more  faithful  or 
devoted  servant  in  their  kingdoms  than  I,  good  father,"  he 


THE  FATHER  SUPERIOR'S  SAILOR   GUEST.        15 

said  with  emphasis,  "  stranger  though  I  be.  To  the  noble 
Queen  Isabella  I  am  beholden  for  great  favors,  and  a 
kindly  sympathy  more  valued  still.  May  the  holy  saints 
ever  have  her  Majesty  in  their  safe  keeping  !  "  and  again 
he  crossed  himself.  "  But  for  six  long  years  have  I  been 
suitor  at  their  court,  asking  of  them  no  grace  save  to  take 
at  my  hands  all  the  wealth  of  Asia,  and  to  bring  under  their 
dominion  and  that  of  the  holy  Christian  faith  the  lands  of 
the  heathen  which  now  languish  in  hateful  idolatry.  Is  not 
that  a  task  fit  for  the  kings  of  Castile  and  of  Aragon,  the 
conquerors  of  the  Moors,  think  you,  good  father?  Nor  was 
my  only  hope  with  them  ;  for  I  myself  placed  in  the  queen's 
hands  the  letters  of  three  other  princes,  bidding  me  to  their 
courts  and  proffering  me  the  aid  I  sought.  Yet  their  High 
nesses  of  Spain  will  none  of  it !  The  cares  of  the  war  in 
Granada ;  the  intrigues  of  the  emissaries  of  Portugal,  who 
seek  to  retain  a  monopoly  of  sailing  distant  seas  and  search 
ing  for  new  lands ;  the  ignorance  and  apathy  and  timidity 
of  those  who  advise  their  Highnesses,  —  all  these  and  a 
thousand  more  pitiful  reasons  have  resulted  in  my  suit  being 
rejected,  or,  what  is  harder  still  to  bear,  being  postponed 
and  deferred  from  month  to  month  and  year  to  year  until  I 
have  grown  weary  and  hopeless.  Now  that  their  Majesties 
have  pitched  their  camp  before  Granada,  there  is  neither 
time  nor  disposition  to  hear  of  aught  save  war,  and  I  go  to 
the  Court  of  France,  whose  king  has  said  he  would  give  me 
the  ships  and  men  I  need  to  find  the  world  which  lies  be 
yond  yon  western  horizon." 

He  gazed  toward  the  ocean,  which  heaved  and  sank 
beneath  the  afternoon  sun,  with  a  look  in  his  eyes  as  though 
he  clearly  saw  some  distant  headland  lying  low  in  the  hazy 
west. 

"  Something  of  this  have  I  heard,  Senor  Cristoval,"  said 
the  friar,  with  an  air  of  sympathy,  "but  had  thought  ere 
this  your  suit  had  prospered.  Your  Worship  may  not  know 
that  our  good  queen  honored  me  for  several  years  as  her 
Highness's  confessor.  At  the  Court  they  called  me  the  Fray 
Antonio  of  Marchena." 


1 6     '  WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

11  Say  you  so,  Father?  "  Colon  replied  with  interest ;  "  then 
I  hold  myself  doubly  fortunate  in  meeting  your  Reverence. 
Often  has  that  most  excellent  lady  her  Grace  of  Maya 
spoken  of  you,  and  wished  you  at  Court  to  further  my  pe 
tition.  Yet  had  I  good  friends  and  powerful  among  their 
Highness's  counsellors,  and  their  number  increased  each  year, 
as  my  proposals  became  more  and  more  understood.  But, 
Father,"  and  he  leaned  toward  the  monk  almost  with  an 
air  of  supplication,  "  the  years  are  passing,  and  I  grow  old. 
It  is  God's  will  that  I  should  make  this  voyage  to  the  west, 
to  find  the  great  continent  of  Asia  and  bring  its  people  to 
a  knowledge  of  the  true  faith.  If  I  wait  on  and  on,  it 
may  be  too  late,  and  I  shall  go  to  my  grave  with  my  task 
undone." 

The  monk  looked  at  his  guest  with  a  frank  admiration. 
The  stranger's  eye  was  kindling  as  if  from  the  inspiration  of 
some  noble  thought,  and  the  whole  expression  of  his  face 
was  that  of  a  lofty  determination  to  dare  all  in  doing  the 
duty  he  felt  to  be  plain  before  him.  Such  a  light  had  the 
good  friar  often  seen,  when  he  followed  the  camp  of  Isa 
bella,  in  the  faces  of  the  knights  of  Santiago  as  they  set 
spurs  into  their  chargers  and  dashed,  lance  in  rest,  against 
the  Moorish  horsemen,  with  a  great  shout  of  "  Saint  James 
for  the  Holy  Cross  and  Spain  !  " 

His  heart  was  stirred  now  at  the  sight  of  his  guest's 
enthusiasm ;  but  he  spoke  quietly  enough  as  he  answered 
Colon,  — 

"  There  is  wisdom  in  the  words  of  the  son  of  David,  that 
much  waiting  weareth  the  soul,  good  sir ;  yet  doubt  I  not 
it  would  sorely  grieve  our  gracious  sovereigns  were  this  quest 
to  be  made  under  any  banner  save  that  of  the  Lions  of 
Castile.  I  am  but  a  layman  in  the  arts  wherein  you  are 
master,  Senor  Cristoval ;  still,  I  have  given  much  thought 
and  study  to  the  writings  of  the  ancients  who  held  that 
there  is  a  lost  continent  far  out  in  yonder  Atlantic,  and 
our  sailors  at  times  have  told  me  strange  tales  of  distant 
lands  they  have  spied  from  the  shores  of  the  Canaries  and 
Azores.  To  me,  who  know  so  little,  it  seems  likely  enough  ; 


THE  FATHER  SUPERIOR'S  SAILOR   GUEST.        I/ 

for  I  remember  that  the  Canaries  themselves  were  only 
found  in  our  fathers'  times,  though  the  ancients  knew  them 
well  and  called  them  the  Fortunate  Isles.  Therefore  glad 
would  my  heart  be,  Senor,  if  my  poor  services  could  avail 
you  anything.  If  it  please  your  Worship,  I  would  crave 
your  warrant  to  bring  to  you  my  learned  friend  the  physi 
cian  Garcia  Fernandez  of  Palos,  hard  by,  who,  albeit  young, 
has  studied  deeply  the  science  of  the  earth  and  the  heavens, 
and  conferred  much  with  the  sea- faring  men  who  frequent 
our  ports.  His  judgment  and  counsel  are  weighty  beyond 
his  years,  Senor,  or  I  should  not  give  your  Worship  the 
labor  of  meeting  him ;  and  we  should  hold  it  a  high  privi 
lege  to  know  more  of  your  project." 

"  It  is  no  trial  for  me  to  meet  those  who  use  the  minds 
that  God  has  given  them  in  trying  to  learn  more  of  His 
works  than  what  lies  under  their  noses,"  Colon  answered 
with  vigor.  "  'T  is  those  who  do  not  think,  not  those  who 
differ  from  me,  who  have  made  my  labors  of  none  effect  till 
now.  Fourteen  years  did  I  pass  at  the  Court  of  Portugal, 
ever  pressing  my  plan  save  when  I  was  on  voyages.  They 
took  my  charts  and  writings  from  me,  saying  they  would 
ponder  them ;  but  secretly  they  sent  out  the  ships  they  had 
denied  me.  God  drove  them  back  on  their  own  coasts,  and 
punished  their  treachery ;  but  I  could  no  longer  trust  them. 
Two  years  I  spent  with  that  noble  man  the  Duke  of  Me 
dina  Celi,  and  he  would  have  gladly  given  me  the  ships  I 
asked,  but  feared  to  affront  the  Crown  by  seeming  bolder 
than  his  sovereigns.  Six  years  have  I  spent  at  the  Court 
of  Castile,  as  I  said  but  now,  and  all  without  result.  In 
twenty  years,  Father,  I  have  met  scarcely  more  men  than 
could  be  numbered  twice  on  my  fingers  who  have  believed 
in  that  western  land  as  I  believe  in  it.  You  shall  judge, 
therefore,  whether  I  count  it  a  toil  to  converse  with  those 
who  seek  to  share  my  faith." 

The  monk  rose  as  he  said,  "  I  will  myself  go  to  the  vil 
lage  for  my  friend,  Senor.  Will  your  Worship  go  with  me  ? 
It  is  but  a  short  half-league,  and  the  brothers  will  see  that 
the  lad  gets  the  rest  he  seems  to  need;"  and  he  nodded 

2 


1 8    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

smilingly  toward  Diego,  who  had  seated  himself  on  the 
arm  of  his  father's  chair  and  fallen  fast  asleep. 

"Willingly,"  Colon  replied,  "for  I  would  gladly  learn 
what  I  may  about  some  of  the  men  from  this  coast  who 
sailed  with  me  years  and  years  ago." 

As  they  crossed  the  courtyard  and  passed  through  the 
portal  of  the  convent  into  the  space  outside,  they  met  the 
strong,  steady  press  of  the  sea-breeze  which  had  sprung  up 
as  the  sun  declined  on  its  last  quarter.  The  sharp  swish  of 
a  few  glittering  palm-tops  tossing  overhead,  sounded  above 
the  softer  murmur  of  the  light  gale  blowing  through  the 
pine-trees  farther  off.  Away  over  the  sea  the  white  crests 
were  riding  landward,  with  here  and  there  a  glance  of 
blinding  sunbeams  as  some  smoother  wave  cast  back  the 
nearly  level  rays.  The  sky  was  everywhere  without  a  cloud, 
save  that  some  few  soft  masses  of  rounded  vapor  hung  on 
the  sea-line  directly  in  the  path  of  the  sun.  A  lovelier  day 
never  drew  to  its  close  even  in  favored  Andalusia. 

As  his  practised  eyes  half  closed  to  veil  the  brilliant  light 
reflected  from  sea  and  sky,  Colon  drew  his  tall  figure  up  to 
its  full  height,  and  laying  one  hand  on  the  friar's  arm, 
stretched  out  the  other  toward  the  dim  outlines  of  the 
cloud-piles  lying  along  the  western  horizon. 

"Saw  you  ever  fairer  scene  than  yonder  ocean,  Fray 
Antonio  ?  Yet  shall  you  find  nineteen  men  in  every  score, 
be  they  seamen  or  men  learned  in  the  arts,  who  will  main 
tain  that  that  fair  ocean  is  filled  with  all  the  horrible  mon 
sters  of  hell ;  and  that  he  who  sails  more  than  a  few  hun 
dred  leagues  from  this  same  coast  on  which  we  stand,  even 
if  he  escape  them,  shall  fall  into  Chaos,  or  be  burned  up  by 
the  sun's  heat,  or  wander  forever  like  another  accursed  Jew, 
over  a  trackless  waste  of  waters." 

The  monk  smiled  kindly  at  his  companion's  enthusiasm, 
as  he  replied,  — 

"But  who  better  than  yourself,  Senor  Cristoval,  knows 
the  fickleness  of  this  now  so  comely  sea  ?  'T  is  not  on  days 
like  this  that  our  mariners  dread  its  terrors,  or  our  scholars 
weave  their  legends;  but  when  the  skies  close  down  in 


THE  FATHER  SUPERIOR'S  SAILOR   GUEST.        19 

leaden  gloom,  and  the  sea  is  naught  but  yawning  gulfs  of 
blackest  pitch.  Then  the  stoutest  heart  may  well  fear  what 
lies  ahead  of  the  narrow  distance  the  eye  can  pierce." 

"  True,  Father,"  said  Colon,  thoughtfully  ;  "  yet  who  trusts 
in  God  and  weathers  the  storm,  shall  find  ever  the  sun 
shining  on  smooth  seas  beyond." 

And  in  friendly  chat  the  two  men  passed  down  the 
winding  path  which  led  through  the  pines  to  the  little  village 
of  Palos  below.1 

1  For  the  historical  basis  of  this  and  the  following  chapter,  see  the 
Appendix,  Notes  C  and  D. 


II. 

THE  SHREWD  IDEA  OF  THE  YOUNG  PHYSICIAN. 

THAT  evening,  shortly  after  vespers,  the  lamp  which 
flickered  on  the  table  in  Fray  Antonio's  room  lighted 
up  a  group  of  men  whose  combined  worldly  possessions  prob 
ably  did  not  amount  to  one  hundred  of  the  dollars  of  our 
day ;  and  yet  they  were  planning,  in  all  simplicity,  to  accom 
plish  the  greatest  work  for  their  fellow-men  the  world  has 
seen  since  the  fishermen  of  Galilee  laid  down  their  nets  and 
followed  Him  they  called  the  Nazarene.  Though  the  good 
father  was  superior  of  the  convent,  and  therefore  chief 
among  the  brethren,  the  bareness  of  his  room  showed  that 
his  vows  of  poverty  and  abstemiousness  were  no  mere 
words.  A  low  pallet-bed,  with  a  crucifix  on  the  white 
washed  wall  above  it,  a  few  straight-backed  armchairs  like 
those  in  the  refectory  below,  a  water-jar  and  basin  of  coarse 
earthenware,  and  a  massive  table  completed  the  furniture  of 
the  apartment.  At  one  end  of  the  table  sat  Colon,  with  a 
parchment  map  of  no  great  size  spread  under  his  hands ;  and 
on  either  side  of  him,  following  closely  all  he  said  and  bend 
ing  down  to  distinguish  the  crabbed  letters  in  the  uncertain 
light,  were  Fray  Antonio  and  his  friend  the  physician  of  Pa- 
los,  Garcia  Fernandez.  The  latter  was  much  younger  than 
either  of  his  companions,  being  scarcely  more  than  thirty 
years  old  ;  and  with  the  graceful  courtesy  of  Spanish  breed 
ing,  he  showed  a  marked  deference  in  manner  and  speech 
toward  his  seniors.  But  when  he  did  speak  it  was  with  a 
clearness  and  conviction  which  showed  that  he  had  reflected 


SHREWD  IDEA    OF  THE  YOUNG  PHYSICIAN.     21 

much  on  the  subject  in  hand,  and  had  sought  to  increase 
his  knowledge  from  every  source  open  to  him. 

"  This  chart  I  had  from  my  very  learned  friend  and  mas 
ter  in  the  geographical  art,  the  Doctor  Paolo  Toscanelli  of 
Florence,  who  sent  it  to  me  some  fifteen  years  ago  when  I 
was  seeking  at  the  Court  of  Portugal  the  means  with  which 
to  discover  the  lands  which  lie  in  the  western  ocean." 

As  Colon  said  this,  the  young  physician  remarked  that  he 
spoke  of  the  existence  of  those  unknown  lands  as  a  cer 
tainty,  not  as  being  merely  probable  or  possible. 

"  In  drawing  it,  that  wise  and  ingenious  man  has  brought 
together  all  that  the  ancients  knew  of  the  world  we  live  in, 
and  has  added  to  it  what  has  been  discovered  in  our  own  times 
of  the  coast  of  Guinea,  and  the  islands  which  are  found  on 
the  course  thither.  I  myself  have  made  some  few  additions 
to  it,  and  in  particular  have  laid  down  the  great  island  of 
Cipango  and  the  mainland  of  Cathay  somewhat  nearer  to 
the  shores  of  Europe  than  my  learned  master  had  done. 
You  will,  I  fear,  consider  it  but  presumption  on  my  part,  good 
sirs,  to  amend  the  work  of  so  great  a  scholar ;  but  all  the 
computations  I  have  made,  and  all  the  knowledge  I  have 
been  able  to  gather,  strengthen  my  belief  that  the  confines 
of  Asia  which  stretch  farthest  to  the  east  are  nearer  to  our 
European  shores  than  any  of  our  maps  now  show." 

Colon  laid  his  finger  on  the  chart  at  a  spot  distant  by  the 
scale  some  three  thousand  miles  west  of  the  coast  of  Portu 
gal,  where  a  large  island  was  roughly  drawn  and  marked 
"  Cipango."  About  half-way  to  it,  in  the  middle  of  what 
we  now  call  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  lay  another  uncertain  out 
line  lettered  "  Island  of  the  Seven  Cities ;  "  while  far  to  the 
south,  near  the  equator,  was  a  third,  charted  as  "St. 
Borondon's  Isle."  The  space  we  now  know  to  be  covered 
by  North  America  was  filled  with  a  multitude  of  other  isl 
ands  ;  Java  and  the  Celebes  were  placed  nearly  on  the  site 
of  South  America ;  and  the  continent  of  Asia  reached  clear 
across  the  wide  space  where  rolls  the  vast  Pacific.  There 
was  no  Africa  south  of  Sierra  Leone,  nearly  the  whole  of 
the  map  being  marked  as  "unknown  seas;"  while  in  the 


22         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

remote  North,  where  hardy  modern  voyagers  have  sought 
the  Pole,  lay  the  island  of  Thule,  the  Iceland  of  now-a- 
days. 

The  monk  and  the  physician  studied  intently  that  portion 
of  the  chart  to  which  Colon  had  pointed. 

"  If  this  distance  be  in  any  measure  exact,  Senor  Cristo- 
val,  naught  can  be  plainer  than  that  the  shortest  track  to 
the  Golden  Indies  lies  in  sailing  west,"  said  Fray  Antonio. 
"  But,  with  your  Worship's  permission,  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  chief  danger  is  in  your  finding  no  land  after  sailing  a 
thousand  leagues  to  the  west,  and  being  unable  to  return  to 
these  shores.  I  have  heard  men  who  were  no  idle  chatter 
ers,  but  men  of  thought  and  sense,  say  that  beyond  the  lim 
its  of  the  known  sea  the  ocean  slopes  so  toward  the  west 
that  no  ship  can  hope  to  return  eastward  once  it  has  passed 
the  farthest  line." 

"  I  treat  lightly  the  opinion  of  no  man  who  has  thought 
much  or  seen  much,  good  father,"  replied  Colon.  "  Should 
that  slope  of  which  men  speak  lie  really  there,  I  could  but 
sail  on  and  on  until  we  reached  our  bourn." 

"  Then  you  hold  of  no  weight  the  tale  some  mariners  tell 
of  a  great  zone  of  dead  calms  lying  in  the  west,  where  ships 
may  lie  as  if  at  anchor  from  century  to  century?  "  the  phy 
sician  asked.  "  That  seems  to  me  a  grievous  peril,  Senor, 
though  I  frankly  grant  there  may  be  land  somewhere  to  the 
west  of  us." 

Colon  settled  himself  back  in  his  chair  before  answering. 
When  he  spoke  it  was  in  the  tone  of  one  who  weighs  care 
fully  his  words  in  the  hope  of  carrying  conviction,  — 

"  Senor  Doctor,  once  you  are  satisfied  the  land  is  there, 
all  else  seems  little.  There  is  no  navigating  without  its 
share  of  peril,  and  he  who  would  make  sure  of  dying  in  bed 
must  not  go  to  sea.  That  there  is  no  zone  of  calm  I  do  not 
affirm,  since  he  is  but  foolish  who  denies  all  he  has  not 
seen.  Rather,  it  seems  to  me  that  such  a  zone  must  lie 
far  to  the  south,  where  the  heat  is  greatest;  for  when  I 
sailed  to  the  Guinea  coast  with  the  Portuguese,  we  found 
the  airs  grow  lighter  as  we  journeyed  toward  the  Southern 


SHREWD  IDEA    OF  THE    YOUNG  PHYSICIAN.      2$ 

Pole.  And  unless  I  err  in  every  thought,  and  my  life  has 
been  spent  thus  far  in  vain,  the  land  I  seek  is  to  be  found 
by  sailing  ever  west  on  the  line  of  these  our  shores,  or,  at  the 
most,  that  of  the  Canary  Islands." 

The  young  physician  spoke  eagerly  as  Colon  finished,  — 

"  Your  own  voyaging  hitherto  has  then  confirmed  your 
faith,  Senor?  You  have  encountered  naught  to  cause  you 
to  doubt?" 

"  Thirty  years  as  boy  and  man  have  I  followed  the  sea, 
worthy  sir,"  Colon  replied ;  "  and  wherever  keel  has  ploughed 
in  the  known  world  of  waters,  there  have  I  sailed.  I  say  it  not 
boastingly ;  but,  as  you  know,  much  travelling  on  the  ocean 
inclines  a  thoughtful  man  to  ponder  over  its  many  and  pro 
found  secrets.  From  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  to  the  farthest 
isles  of  Greece  I  have  crossed  and  recrossed  the  Mediter 
ranean  Sea  times  without  number,  and  visited  all  its  coasts, 
whether  of  Africa,  Europe,  or  Asia.  To  the  English  islands 
I  have  sailed  more  than  once,  and  years  ago  I  went  to  the 
utmost  verge  of  the  western  sea  which  the  ancients  called 
Ultima  Thule,  but  the  people  who  dwell  there  call  the  Land 
of  Ice.  As  far  as  men  have  sailed  along  the  western  coast 
of  Africa  I  have  also  been  on  divers  voyages,  and  passed 
much  time  in  the  islands  the  Portuguese  name  Azores,  and 
in  the  Spanish  archipelago  of  the  Canaries.  Wherever  I 
have  been  I  have  sought  to  learn  both  from  sailors  and  from 
learned  scholars ;  priests  and  laymen,  Latins  and  Greeks, 
Jews  and  Moors,  —  all  these  and  many  of  other  sects  have 
I  known  and  had  conversation  with.  And  to  this  day,  good 
sirs,  I  have  met  none  who  could  show  one  good  cause  why, 
by  keeping  a  straight  course  to  the  setting  sun,  I  should  not 
reach  the  boundaries  of  Asia  and  the  empire  of  the  Great 
Khan.  Much  to  the  contrary,  month  by  month  and  year 
by  year  my  belief  has  been  strengthened  and  increased,  un 
til  now  I  know  I  but  follow  the  way  the  finger  of  God  marks 
out  for  me  to  go." 

"  There  is,  indeed,  a  mariner  of  our  village,  Senor  Cris- 
toval,"  said  the  physician,  with  some  diffidence,  "one 
Pedro  Velasco,  who  has  followed  the  sea  for  many  years, 


24    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

and  declares  that  starting  from  the  Azores  some  years  ago 
he  and  his  companions  sailed  due  west  for  several  days,  and 
found  the  ocean  ever  the  same  in  all  its  aspects  as  those  it 
bears  nearer  home." 

"  You  must  do  me  the  service  of  procuring  me  speech 
with  your  neighbor,  Senor  Garcia,"  said  Colon,  with  inter 
est,  "for  from  such  men  I  have  learned  much.  When  I 
was  before  on  this  coast,  under  the  protection  of  my  noble 
patron,  his  Grace  of  Medina  Celi,  in  his  port  of  Santa 
Maria,  a  one-eyed  sailor,  who  from  his  appearance  must 
have  had  a  stormy  life,  told  me  that  on  a  certain  voyage 
when  he  was  bound  for  Ireland,  which  is  one  of  the  Eng 
lish  isles,  his  ship  was  blown  far  off  its  course  by  constant 
easterly  gales,  until  they  came  in  sight  of  a  western  land  they 
supposed  to  be  the  shores  of  Tartary.  Being  afraid  to  land, 
and  the  winds  having  changed,  they  made  their  way  back 
again  across  the  wide  sea  to  these  shores.  Whether  in  fact 
they  reached  so  far  as  Asia,  or  only  lost  their  reckoning  and 
sighted  some  nearer  land,  I  cannot  determine.  But  after 
ward  I  met  in  Murcia  a  Portuguese  sailor  who  had  been  on 
this  same  voyage,  and  he  confirmed  all  the  other  had  told 
me.  I  see  nothing  extravagant  in  their  tale;  but  they 
could  find  no  other  to  believe  them." 

"  Others  of  our  seafaring  men  have  told  me  that  return 
ing  from  Guinea  they  have  seen  the  dim  outlines  of  some 
unknown  land  lying  far  in  the  western  sky.  Saw  you  any 
thing  of  this,  Senor  Cristoval?"  asked  the  younger  man. 
"  I  trespass,  perhaps,  too  far  on  your  Worship's  kindness  in 
repeating  such  idle  mariners'  tales,"  he  added,  as  if  in 
apology. 

"  T  is  a  kindness  done,  not  one  you  ask,  young  sir," 
Colon  responded  with  heartiness.  "These  reports  have  I 
heard  both  in  the  Azores  and  in  the  Canary  Islands,  as  this 
afternoon  I  was  saying  to  his  Reverence  here  ;  but  I  never 
saw  with  my  own  eyes  aught  that  looked  like  land.  Some 
filmy  shadows  there  sometimes  were,  to  say  truth ;  but  they 
seemed  to  my  sight  to  be  but  distant  clouds  or  some  trick 
played  by  the  sea-haze  upon  us.  Clearer  tokens  that  some- 


SHREWD  IDEA    OF  THE    YOUNG  PHYSICIAN.      2$ 

thing  lay  beyond  our  vision  in  that  direction  were  to  me  the 
strange  trees  and  plants  which  from  time  to  time  the  sea  has 
cast  on  the  shores  of  those  islands.  The  father  of  my  dead 
wife  —  may  God  have  her  in  his  glory  !  —  was  governor  for 
the  Crown  of  Portugal  of  the  island  of  Porto  Santo  for  many 
years  ;  and  when  I  was  there  his  son  showed  me  some  canes 
or  reeds  of  the  thickness  of  a  man's  thigh,  which  had  come 
ashore  in  a  gale,  and  avowed  to  me  that  he  himself  had 
talked  with  those  who  had  found  the  bodies  of  two  men  cast 
up  by  the  ocean  on  the  isle  of  Flores,  who  had  yellow  faces 
and  straight  black  hair,  such  as  we  know  the  people  of  Asia 
to  have.  These  evidences,  and  others  which  have  been 
given  up  by  the  waves,  weigh  more  with  me,  Sefior,  than 
the  doubtful  tales  of  lands  which  have  been  seen  so  near 
and  never  found." 

Fray  Antonio  had  listened  with  close  attention  to  all 
that  passed  between  his  friend  Garcia  Fernandez  and  the 
stranger,  nodding  his  head  now  and  then  as  if  to  show  that 
he  agreed  with  some  remark  of  one  or  the  other.  Now  he 
turned  to  Colon  and  said,  — 

"  Then  you  see  no  cause  to  doubt  that  men  may  have 
already  crossed  this  western  sea,  Senor  Cristoval,  albeit  no 
record  remains  of  their  voyages?" 

"  It  were  much  to  say,  reverend  father,  that  since  God 
made  the  world  or  since  men  have  sailed  the  sea  no  gale 
has  driven  their  ships  westward  to  shores  we  know  not  of," 
Colon  answered  with  an  air  of  modesty;  "yet  of  this  we 
know  naught  for  certain ;  nor  have  we  any  sign  of  men 
coming  eastward  over  those  western  waters,  save  those  two 
dead  bodies  on  the  beach  at  Flores  Island.1  You  both  have 
read  the  ancients,  worthy  sirs,  and  will  doubtless  remember 
that  in  their  writings  is  frequent  mention  of  a  western  con 
tinent,  which  they  called  Atlantis,  but  which  cannot  be  else 

1  That  Columbus  was  aware  of  the  vague  tales  concerning  involun 
tary  voyages  across  the  Atlantic  appears  from  various  references  in 
his  writings.  His  position  in  regard  thereto,  and  his  possible  debt  to 
the  Norsemen,  or  to  later  voyages  in  the  Sea  of  Darkness,  are  alluded 
to  in  Note  E  of  the  Appendix. 


26         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

than  that  side  of  Asia  which  lies  nearest  to  us  on   that 
course." 

The  father  superior  answered,  with  a  glance  of  sly  amuse 
ment  at  the  physician,  — 

"  This  young  student  by  your  side,  Senor  Cristoval,  has 
given  me  many  a  sleepless  night  with  his  disputations  over 
that  very  point,  and  his  attempts  to  establish  the  geography 
of  Pliny  and  Strabo  and  Herodotus  by  the  tales  of  our 
sailors  here,  or  of  some  wandering  merchant  who  has  come 
from  the  far  Orient." 

"  Nay,  Father ;  you  are  malicious,"  the  younger  man  an 
swered,  laughing  as  he  spoke.  "  You  too  were  startled  by 
the  prophecy  in  the  book  my  kinsman  Martin  Alonzo 
brought  from  Rome." 

"Tis  true,  my  friend,"  said  the  friar,  soberly;  "I  had 
forgotten  that.  Know  you  of  such  a  book,  Senor?"  he 
asked,  turning  to  Colon.  "  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  our  neigh 
bor  of  Palos,  who  owns  both  lands  and  ships,  and  has  been 
much  at  sea,  returned  not  long  since  from  a  voyage  to 
Rome,  and  brought  a  book  which  he  says  he  had  from  a 
gentleman  of  his  Holiness's  own  household,  and  which  is 
of  the  time  of  King  Solomon.  In  that  book  it  is  written  : 
*  Whoever  shall  sail  by  the  Mediterranean  Sea  to  the  end 
of  Spam,  and  from  there  toward  the  setting  of  the  sun  for 
fourteen  hundred  leagues,  keeping  always  along  a  middle 
course  between  the  north  and  the  south,  shall  come  to  the 
land  of  Campanso,  which  is  very  fertile,  and  abounding  in 
all  good  things ;  and  with  it  he  shall  conquer  all  Africa 
and  Europe."  I  may  err  in  -the  words,  but  the  sense  is  as 
I  say." 

Colon  leaned  forward  eagerly,  as  the  monk  repeated  the 
paragraph. 

"  I  know  not  that  book,  good  father,  and  shall  be  much 
your  debtor  if  you  will  bring  me  to  converse  with  this  Senor 
Martin  Alonzo,"  he  replied.  "  Howbeit  the  distance  named 
is  twice  too  great ;  for  all  my  computations  place  the  island 
of  Cipango  at  only  seven  hundred,  or  at  the  most  eight  hun 
dred,  leagues  from  the  Spanish  coast ;  and  I  doubt  not  the 


SHREWD  IDEA   OF  THE    YOUNG  PHYSICIAN.       2/ 

land  called  Campanso  shall  be  the  port  of  Quimsay  in  Cathay, 
which  our  later  travellers  to  India  —  Marco  Polo  the  Vene 
tian  and  the  monks  who  went  before  him  to  the  remote 
East  —  have  placed  not  far  beyond  Cipango,  as  you  may 
see  by  this  chart." 

He  laid  his  finger  on  the  spot  as  he  spoke,  and  sat  mus 
ing  for  a  few  moments. 

"  Nevertheless,"  he  continued  with  emphasis,  "  that 
prophecy  is  not  more  notable,  Senores,  than  the  one  of 
Seneca,  who  wrote  in  the  times  of  Nero,  — '  In  the  later 
years  of  the  world  shall  come  the  days  when  ocean  shall 
loosen  the  bonds  of  the  unknown,  and  a  great  country 
shall  be  opened  up.  Another  mariner  like  him  who  guided 
Jason  shall  discover  a  new  world,  and  then  shall  Thule  cease 
to  be  the  limits  of  the  earth.'  " 

As  he  recited  the  sonorous  lines  of  the  Latin  poet,  Colon's 
face  lighted  up  again  with  a  look  of  lofty  purpose,  which 
seemed  to  his  companions  akin  to  the  fire  of  inspiration. 
Lowering  his  voice  slightly,  he  continued,  — 

"  Almost  in  our  own  times,  worthy  sirs,  we  have  this  as 
surance  repeated  by  the  English  knight  Sir  Mandeville,  who, 
following  the  footsteps  of  Maestro  Marco,  penetrated  through 
the  Holy  Land  and  India  to  the  farthest  bounds  of  Asia  and 
the  remotest  islands  of  the  eastern  seas  ;  for  after  he  had  gone 
from  his  own  land  of  England  through  all  of  Europe  and  Asia 
until,  according  to  his  count,  he  had  covered  by  land  more 
than  three  fourths  of  all  the  distance  around  the  globe  of  the 
earth,  he  returned  after  thirty  years  by  a  like  weary  journey 
to  his  home.  And  of  this  long  pilgrimage  he  has  said  :  '  I 
tell  you  for  a  surety  that  if  you  but  have  good  ships  and  men 
and  prudent  guidance,  you  may  sail  around  all  the  world  of 
this  earth,  as  well  on  the  side  we  inhabit  as  on  the  other, 
and  return  safe  and  sound  to  your  own  country ;  and  every 
where  you  shall  find  men  and  countries  and  islands  there  as 
well  as  in  our  own  part  of  the  world.'  Much  more  besides 
this  does  this  wise  and  sagacious  man  say  from  the  abun 
dance  of  his  knowledge  to  prove  that  the  earth  is  round,  and 
that  he  who  will  sail  across  the  western  ocean  will  find  the 


28         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

distant  lands  he  himself  saw  or  heard  of,  and  that  by  a  voy 
age  but  one  third  as  long  as  the  mighty  travel  he  made. 
This  same  belief  is  also  held  by  my  learned  master  Paolo 
Toscanelli,  Senores,"  continued  Colon ;  "  for  in  sending  me 
this  present  chart,  he  wrote  to  me,  saying :  '  Nor  should 
men  wonder  that  I  call  the  Occident  the  region  where  the 
spices  grow,  which  commonly  is  named  the  Orient ;  for 
whoever  shall  sail  by  the  ocean  to  the  west  shall  find  those 
same  countries,  and  those  who  journey  by  land  to  the  east 
shall  come  to  them  likewise,  for  they  are  but  one  and  the 
same.'  " 

"  Wherefore,  good  sirs,"  added  Colon,  after  a  moment's 
pause,  "  for  all  these  reasons,  and  for  an  infinite  many  more 
taken  from  the  writings  of  the  ancients,  both  sacred  and 
profane,  and  from  the  voyages  of  travellers  by  land  and  sea 
in  these  later  days,  and  from  the  knowledge  God  has  given 
me,  the  humblest  of  His  servants,  have  I  maintained  for  all 
these  years,  and  ever  must  maintain,  that  he  who  will  but 
venture  to  the  west  shall  have  the  lands  of  the  heathen  for 
his  possession  ;  for  He  has  called  me  to  this  work,  in  giving 
me  from  my  earliest  days  a  love  for  the  knowledge  of  strange 
lands,  and  in  making  me  learned  in  the  secrets  of  the  sea  and 
of  the  stars,  and  in  vouchsafing  to  me  wisdom  in  geometry 
and  arithmetic,  and  skill  in  the  making  of  charts  and  globes, 
and  in  leading  me  to  study  the  writings  of  the  wise  men 
of  old  in  their  chronicles  and  histories  and  philosophies, 
and  all  else  that  was  needful  for  this  labor;  and  to  this 
knowledge  and  experience  has  He  added  His  calling 
and  commandment  that  I  should  undertake  this  enter 
prise,  and  given  me  the  strength  and  heart  to  accomplish 
it  with  His  aid.  To  Him  be  the  glory  to  the  latest  of  the 
ages.  Amen." 

As  Colon  concluded,  he  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and 
remained  gazing  beyond  the  narrow  circle  of  light  into  the 
gloom  of  the  room  beyond,  as  if  he  saw  there  the  land  he 
spoke  of. 

Fray  Antonio  had  sat  during  the  greater  part  of  his  guest's 
remarks  with  his  face  half  covered  by  his  hand,  leaning  his 


SHREWD  IDEA   OF  THE    YOUNG  PHYSICIAN.      29 

elbow  on  the  arm  of  his  chair.     He  now  looked  up  and 
said,  with  some  emotion  in  his  voice,  — 

"  And  all  this  you  have  laid  before  our  gracious  sovereigns, 
Senor  Cristoval?" 

"  All  this  and  more,  reverend  father,  —  both  to  their 
Highnesses  in  person  and  before  the  council  they  sum 
moned  to  hear  my  cause  at  Salamanca.  But  it  was  the 
same  there  as  it  had  been  in  other  years  with  the  council 
called  by  the  Portuguese  king,  —  some  few  believed,  many 
remained  in  doubt ;  but  most  laughed  at  me  as  a  visionary, 
and  ridiculed  my  proposals  as  the  dream  of  a  madman. 
Yet  feel  I  still  the  fire  from  God  burning  in  my  heart,  and 
until  I  cease  to  breathe  must  I  follow  His  bidding." 

"  May  it  not  be,  worshipful  sir,"  inquired  the  physician, 
with  much  respect,  "  that  their  Highnesses  cannot  now  sus 
tain  the  costs  of  so  great  an  undertaking,  seeing  that  their 
realms  are  exhausted  by  the  wars  against  the  Moors?" 

"That  did  I  weigh  most  needfully,  Senor,"  replied  Colon, 
with  emphasis.  "  I  asked  them  for  but  two  or  three  small 
ships,  —  such  as  sail  along  our  coasts ;  for  these  I  deem  the 
best  for  a  voyage  of  discovery.  His  Grace  of  Medina  Celi 
had  such  a  fleet,  which  he  gladly  would  have  given  me  were 
it  not  for  the  reasons  I  already  named." 

"Two  or  three  small  ships,"  repeated  the  younger  man, 
musingly ;  "  that  were  a  small  venture  for  such  a  vast 
return." 

"  You  say  right,  Senor  Garcia,"  said  Colon,  sitting  up 
right,  with  his  former  look  of  exaltation  kindling  in  his  eyes  ; 
"  you  say  right.  While  the  fleets  of  the  King  of  Portugal 
are  slowly  creeping  from  headland  to  headland  along  the 
coasts  of  Guinea,  getting  here  a  little  gold  dust  and  there 
a  few  negro  slaves,  their  Majesties  of  Spain  would  secure  the 
direct  road  across  the  western  ocean  to  the  incalculable 
wealth  of  Asia.  How  long  would  it  take,  think  you,  for  the 
gold  and  pearls,  the  gems  and  spices  and  silks  of  the  golden 
Indies  to  repair  all  the  costs  of  the  Moorish  wars,  and  make 
their  Highnesses  the  chiefest  powers  of  Christendom  ?  Yet 
is  this  the  least  part  of  the  glory  which  awaits  them ;  for 


30         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

while  the  ministers  of  the  true  faith  taught  the  way  of  life 
to  the  countless  hordes  of  Asia,  their  Highnesses,  with  the 
vast  treasure  which  would  pour  into  their  ports  with  every 
returning  ship,  would  have  the  means  to  crown  their  pious 
work  of  driving  the  infidel  Moors  from  Spain  with  the  in 
finitely  more  blessed  one  of  freeing  the  Holy  Sepulchre  from 
the  foul  grasp  of  the  vile  dogs  of  Mahomet.  This,"  con 
tinued  Colon,  his  rising  voice  echoing  through  the  bare  room, 
—  "  this  is  the  grandest  task  ever  given  to  Christian  kings 
to  accomplish ;  and  by  doing  this  our  noble  king  and  queen 
would  secure  the  high  approval  of  Almighty  God  and  the 
gratitude  of  endless  generations.  As  for  me,"  he  added  in 
a  lower  tone,  "  I  have  vowed  to  the  Holy  Trinity  that  in  so 
far  as  lies  in  my  power  all  the  benefits  from  my  discovery 
shall  be  dedicated  to  the  rescue  of  Jerusalem  from  the 
Paynim." 

No  one  spoke  for  several  minutes.  The  lamp  on  the 
table  was  sputtering  fitfully  as  the  wick  drank  up  the  last 
drops  of  oil,  and  monstrous  shadows  of  the  three  men 
wavered  along  the  walls  and  on  the  ceiling  of  the  fast  dark 
ening  apartment. 

The  monk  had  followed  every  word  spoken  by  Colon  as 
though  he  listened  to  a  prophet.  He  was  the  first  to  break 
the  silence. 

"  Senor  Cristoval,  it  grows  late,  and  we  have  taxed  your 
kindness  unduly,  I  greatly  fear.  With  your  permission  we 
will  talk  more  of  this  to-morrow.  It  is  barely  possible  that 
in  your  holy  work  even  so  humble  an  instrument  as  myself 
may  be  of  some  slight  help.  Let  me  show  you  to  your 
chamber.  'T  is  no  disloyalty,  I  am  assured,  to  say  that  the 
poor  convent  of  La  Rabida  is  this  night  honored  as  though 
their  Majesties  themselves  were  sharing  its  lowly  shelter." 

After  conducting  Colon  to  the  room  where  his  boy  was 
sleeping,  Fray  Antonio  walked  to  the  convent  wicket  with 
the  young  physician.  As  they  stood  there  alone  in  the 
quiet  starlight,  his  friend  said  to  him  in  a  low  tone,  full  of 
hidden  meaning,  — 

"  Did  you  mark  the  Senor  Colon  said  he  wanted  but  two 


SHREWD  IDEA    OF  THE    YOUNG   PHYSICIAN.      31 

or  three  small  ships,  good  father?  Bear  you  in  mind,  as 
you  ponder  his  words,  that  our  port  of  Palos  is  under  sen 
tence  of  their  Majesties'  Council  to  furnish  two  ships  and 
their  crews  for  any  service  their  Majesties  may  appoint. 
The  cost  of  a  third  might  not  deter  them,  were  two  already 
provided." 

"You  speak  shrewdly,  Garcia,"  the  monk  said,  clearly 
much  impressed;  "mayhap  the  hand  of  God  is  in  that 
thought.  Let  us  keep  our  own  counsel  for  the  night,  and 
on  the  morrow  I  will  come  and  confer  further  with  you. 
Sleep  you  well,  good  friend  !  " 

He  remained  a  moment,  watching  the  young  physician 
recede  into  the  darkness ;  then,  stepping  within  the  wicket, 
walked  thoughtfully  to  his  chamber.1 

1  Note  H,  in  the  Appendix :  "  The  Three  Ships  of  Palos." 


III. 

THE   NOTABLE   MISSION   OF   THE 
EX-PRIVATEERSMAN. 

NO  sooner  were  the  services  over  in  the  little  chapel  of 
the  convent  on  the  following  morning,  and  his  simple 
meal  despatched,  than  the  father  superior  excused  himself 
from  Colon,  and  leaving  him  in  charge  of  the  other  breth 
ren,  betook  himself  to  the  house  of  his  friend  in  the  village 
of  Palos.  Early  though  the  hour  was,  the  hot  sun  of  an 
almost  tropical  summer's  day  beat  fiercely  on  the  path  he 
had  to  traverse,  and  rose  in  trembling  air-waves  from  the 
low  banks  of  the  river  and  the  red-tile  roofs  of  the  little 
town. 

The  young  physician  was  evidently  awaiting  the  friar's 
visit  with  impatience ;  for  the  latter  had  barely  given  him 
good-day  and  thrown  himself  into  a  chair  with  a  sense  of 
enjoyment  at  the  freshness  of  the  room,  when  the  doctor 
exclaimed,  — 

"Tell  me,  good  father,  what  think  you  of  our  friend 
yonder,  the  Senor  Colon?" 

"  I  hope  that  we  may  help  him,  Friend  Garcia,  if  so  it 
please  God.  Her  Highness  our  Most  Catholic  Queen  has 
ever  deigned  to  give  much  heed  to  such  causes  as  I  have 
felt  justified  in  laying  before  her,  and  this  benignant  con 
descension  I  have  endeavored  never  to  abuse.  Now,  it 
seems  to  me,  were  a  worthy  occasion  for  approaching  her 
Majesty,  and  asking  her  renewed  attention  to  the  proposals 
of  the  Senor  Colon,  which,  if  they  are  but  laid  before 


MISSION  OF  THE  EX-PRIVATEERSMAN.          33 

her  as  a  holy  enterprise  for  the  propagation  of  our  true 
religion  which  shall  greatly  redound  to  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  credit  of  Castile,  I  am  assured  will  receive  a  new  con 
sideration.  Moreover,  my  friend,  your  thought  of  the  past 
night  may  well  be  used  as  an  argument  that  the  costs  of 
the  undertaking  need  prove  no  obstacle ;  that  is,  provided 
always  you  mistake  not  in  your  belief  about  the  two  ships." 
The  physician  hastened  to  convince  his  friend  that  as  to 
these  there  could  be  no  doubt.  The  villagers  of  Palos, 
nearly  all  of  whom  were  seamen,  had  more  than  once  got 
themselves  into  trouble  with  the  courts  of  the  kingdom  by 
deeds  of  piracy  and  contraband.  Only  lately,  despite  fre 
quent  warnings,  they  had  infringed  the  rigid  navigation  laws 
which  strictly  established  for  the  sailors  and  shipmasters  of 
Spain  the  ports  which  they  could  visit,  the  goods  they  might 
carry,  and  prescribed  every  circumstance  of  the  voyages 
they  were  permitted  to  make.  This  defiant  "  re-incidence  " 
of  their  former  offences  against  the  Crown,  as  the  Spanish 
laws  called  it,  had  exhausted  the  patience  of  the  Royal 
Council,  before  which  the  case  had  come ;  and  they  had, 
justly  or  unjustly,  condemned  the  parish  of  Palos  to  furnish 
and  equip  two  ships  at  the  cost  of  its  inhabitants,  and  hold 
them  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Crown,  to  be  sent,  with  the 
crews  required,  on  whatever  service  might  be  ordered  within 
the  term  of  one  year.  This  sentence  had  caused  no  little 
grumbling  in  Palos  and  its  neighborhood,  for  no  one  could 
foretell  whose  ships  might  be  selected,  or  on  what  cruise 
they  might  be  sent ;  although  the  worst  that  could  happen, 
so  far  as  the  knowledge  of  the  mariners  went,  was  that  they 
should  be  sent  on  a  voyage  to  the  Canary  Islands  and  back. 
As  time  passed,  however,  and  no  further  commands  came 
about  the  vessels,  the  community  settled  down  into  the 
belief  that  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  threat  used  by  the 
Council  to  frighten  them  into  better  behavior.  Little  did 
the  villagers  imagine,  as  they  passed  the  young  doctor's 
house  on  that  hot  morning,  going  down  to  their  boats  along 
shore  or  up  into  the  vineyards  on  the  hills  above  the  town, 
or  only  lounging  lazily  toward  the  village  wine-shop  for  a 

3 


34         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

friendly  gossip,  what  a  plot  was  hatching  against  their  wonted 
peace  of  mind  ! 

The  friar  listened  attentively  as  the  physician  explained 
just  how  the  matter  of  the  ships  stood.  Then  he  answered, 
with  a  smile  at  the  thought  of  the  clamor  that  would  be 
raised,  — 

"  I  knew  not  all  the  circumstances  of  the  affair,  Garcia, 
and  your  exposition  makes  it  clear  that  the  ships  are  in 
truth  available  for  the  voyage  the  Senor  Colon  proposes. 
But  our  neighbors  here  of  Palos  will  surely  make  resistance 
if  they  be  consulted  beforehand,  and  it  will  be  best  to 
secure  a  particular  order  from  their  Highnesses,  if  we  can 
but  obtain  it.  Oftentimes  has  my  worthy  brother,  Fray 
Martin  Sanchez,  the  curate  of  your  parish,  told  me  of  the 
stubbornness  of  his  flock.  You  may  yourself  remember,  since 
it  is  not  many  years  ago,  how  they  rebelled  against  the 
king's  command  to  restore  the  vessel  they  had  stolen  from 
their  neighbors  of  the  port  of  Santa  Maria  ?  'T  was  a  clear 
case  of  piracy,  since  our  sailors  seized  both  ship  and  crew 
while  peacefully  engaged,  as  was  their  right,  in  fishing  along 
the  coast ;  yet  our  people  resisted  the  order  of  the  Council, 
and  all  but  revolted  before  they  would  give  up  the  ship." 

"  They  are  loath  to  part  with  what  they  once  hold,  Father," 
replied  the  doctor,  anxious  to  speak  a  word  for  his  turbulent 
townsmen,  "  be  it  had  by  fair  means  or  foul.  But  a  direct 
mandate  from  our  sovereigns  to  perform  a  bounden  duty 
cannot  be  avoided,  and  they  must  yield  in  the  end.  Think 
you  such  an  order  can  be  had? " 

"  We  can  but  try,  my  son ;  but  on  this  matter  we  must 
hear  the  Senor  Colon.  Will  you  go  with  me  to  the  convent  ?  " 

As  soon  as  the  force  of  the  midday  heat  was  past,  the  two 
friends  made  their  way  back  to  the  cloister  on  the  hill. 
They  found  Colon  seated  in  the  library,  poring  diligently 
over  a  heavy  tome  of  one  of  the  early  fathers  of  the  Church, 
apparently  deeply  absorbed  in  its  contents. 

In  a  few  words  the  superior  explained  to  him  the  sug 
gestion  made  by  the  physician  on  the  previous  night,  and 
the  result  of  their  conversation  in  the  village  that  morning. 


MISSION  OF  THE  EX-PRIVATEERSMAN.          35 

"  Will  the  ships  serve  your  purpose,  worthy  sir?  "  inquired 
the  friar.  "  If  they  will  but  answer,  with  your  consent  I  will 
gladly  lay  the  matter  privately  before  her  Majesty  the  Queen, 
in  the  hope  that  such  feeble  incitement  as  I  may  use  may 
determine  her  Majesty  not  to  permit  so  godly  a  work  to 
pass  into  other  hands." 

"  The  vessels  in  use  along  these  coasts  are  such  as  best 
suit  my  needs,  reverend  father,"  Colon  responded ;  "since 
those  of  greater  size  and  deeper  draught  cannot  approach  near 
to  shallow  shores  or  enter  the  mouths  of  many  rivers.  This 
much  have  I  learned  in  voyaging  to  Africa.  Moreover,  I 
look  not  for  stormy  seas  or  great  gales,  since  I  should  main 
tain  always  the  latitude  of  the  Canary  Islands,  where  soft 
breezes  and  moderate  weather  prevail.  But  two  ships,  I 
fear,  are  scanty  provision  with  which  to  make  such  a  voyage, 
since,  should  disaster  overtake  one,  the  other  must  return  at 
once.  Nevertheless,"  he  added  in  a  tone  of  decision,  "  if 
we  can  but  obtain  two,  I  shall  make  the  voyage,  putting  my 
trust  in  the  Holy  Trinity,  who  have  never  yet  forsaken  me, 
Their  servant." 

"  It  were  long  to  put  all  this  our  cause  on  paper,"  said 
the  friar.  "  If  it  please  you,  Senor  Colon,  I  will  rather  but 
open  the  matter  in  a  letter  to  her  Highness  the  Queen,  and 
crave  her  gracious  permission  to  expound  the  subject  at 
greater  length  to  her  in  person." 

"  I  doubt  not  you  do  well,  Father,"  Colon  answered,  "  since 
written  words,  however  true  they  be,  must  fall  but  coldly  on 
her  Majesty's  sight  in  the  press  of  anxieties  forced  upon 
her  mind  by  the  siege  of  Granada." 

"  Senor  Garcia,"  the  superior  said,  turning  to  his  friend, 
"  we  shall  need  as  bearer  of  this  letter  a  man  who  is  both 
stout  of  heart  and  discreet  of  mind.  The  road  from  here  to 
the  royal  camp  is  none  too  safe  in  these  days  of  turmoil, 
and  it  behooves  us  as  well  that  our  petition  should  reach  her 
Majesty's  hand  without  the  knowledge  of  any  of  the  Court. 
Know  you  a  man  whom  we  can  trust  ?  " 

The  physician  reflected  a  few  minutes,  and  then  named 
two  or  three  men  of  Palos  and  the  neighboring  town  of 


36  WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

Moguer ;  but  some  objection  was  made  to  them  all.  Finally 
he  said, — 

"  There  is  Sebastian  Rodriguez,  good  father,  —  the  pilot 
from  Lepe.  He  is  just  now  in  our  village,  and  I  know  him 
for  a  brave  man  and  a  prudent." 

"  Is  not  he  the  brawler  who  seized  a  vessel  and  all  its  con 
tents  from  one  of  our  men  of  Palos,  within  sight  of  the  port, 
not  many  years  ago,  my  friend  ?  "  asked  the  priest. 

"  The  same,  Father ;  but  he  claims  that  Nieto,  who  owned 
the  other  boat  and  was  privateering  against  the  Moors,  had 
done  him  a  grievous  wrong,  and  that  he  took  his  vessel  away 
in  a  fair  trial  of  strength.  When  the  Council  sentenced  him 
to  restitution,  he  gave  up  his  spoils  without  resistance.  I 
deem  him  to  be  an  honest  man  and  faithful." 

"  If  he  took  but  what  he  believed  to  be  his  own,  good 
father,"  interposed  Colon,  "  in  a  fair  and  open  contest, 
it  should  not  be  counted  against  him,  think  you?  Such 
boldness  is  often  a  sign  of  a  frank  and  open  disposition 
among  the  men  of  the  sea." 

"  Nay,  my  friends,"  replied  the  friar,  "  I  know  nothing  to 
his  discredit ;  and  of  a  verity  the  ways  of  the  sea  are  not  as 
the  ways  of  the  cloister.  If  Garcia  will  bring  the  man  to 
converse  with  us,  he  may  prove  to  be  the  very  one  we  need." 

The  superior  then  explained  in  detail  his  plan,  and  asked 
Colon's  sanction  to  make  the  attempt.  He  would  write  a 
letter  to  the  Queen  Isabella,  relying  on  his  former  close  re 
lations  with  her  Majesty  as  her  confessor,  and  would  ask  a 
private  audience  to  lay  before  her  his  reasons  for  urging  her 
to  consider  favorably  and  give  prompt  despatch  to  the  pro 
posals  of  Colon.  Knowing  well  the  enthusiastic  piety  of 
the  queen,  he  would  dwell  chiefly  on  the  vast  service  to  be 
rendered  to  the  Christian  religion  by  opening  a  direct  road 
for  its  spread  to  the  immense  hordes  of  heathen  Asia,  and 
crowning  her  grand  work  of  driving  the  Mohammedan 
Moors  from  Spain  with  the  evangelization  of  all  that  enor 
mous  eastern  continent.  The  pious  monk  also  counted,  in 
a  more  worldly  manner,  on  removing  the  chief  obstacle  that 
had  before  been  urged  by  the  queen's  advisers  against  the 


MISSION  OF  THE  EX-PRIVA  TEERSMAN.          37 

project  of  Colon,  —  that  is,  its  cost,  —  by  showing  that  two 
vessels  already  lay  at  the  orders  of  the  Crown,  and  it  would 
be  an  easy  measure  to  put  them  at  Colon's  disposal  for  his 
undertaking.  This  he  felt  would  have  especial  weight  with 
King  Ferdinand,  who  was  disposed  to  be  less  open  to  the 
influences  of  sentiment  than  the  queen.  The  same  prudent 
and  eminently  practical  monarch,  the  friar  imagined,  would 
realize  that  even  as  a  speculation  it  would  be  worth  while 
staking  the  small  sum  now  demanded,  in  the  hope  of  se 
curing  for  the  Spanish  treasury  the  fabulous  wealth  of  the 
Indies,  which  from  time  immemorial  had  come  overland 
through  the  eastern  ports  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  enriched 
the  sovereigns  who  controlled  these,  from  Solomon  of  old 
to  the  merchant  princes  of  Venice  in  the  days  of  which  we 
write.  But  as  the  good  father  was  familiar  with  the  mani 
fold  intrigues  and  jealousies  of  the  Court,  and  shrewdly  sus 
pected  that  much  of  the  opposition  encountered  by  Colon 
had  come  from  the  latter's  direct  and  straightforward 
methods  and  impatience  of  fawning  and  hypocrisy,  he  deter 
mined  to  deal  himself  with  the  queen  alone,  giving  to  the 
bearer  of  his  letter  a  note  to  her  Majesty's  present  con 
fessor,  the  Bishop  Fernando  de  Talavera,  merely  requesting 
the  latter  to  see  that  Fray  Antonio's  letter  should  reach  the 
queen's  hands  promptly,  as  it  related  to  important  interests 
of  the  Crown. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  honored  sir,"  concluded  the  worthy 
superior,  "  our  poor  retreat  of  La  Rabida  will  consider  itself 
indeed  fortunate  if  you  will  use  its  roof  for  your  shelter  until 
we  hear  the  pleasure  of  our  Lady  Queen." 

"  That  will  I,  and  gladly,  Father,"  Colon  replied  with 
heartiness.  "  Were  it  not  that  I  feel  this  call  so  strong  upon 
me,  I  would  myself  long  before  this  have  worn  the  habit  of 
Saint  Francis."1 

"  We  can  all  serve  God  in  our  own  fashion,  good  sir," 
answered  the  monk,  with  kindness.  "  So  that  we  keep  our 
hearts  steadfast  and  our  hands  clean,  and  do  the  duty  that 

1  In  his  latter  years  Columbus  wore  the  habit  of  a  lay  brother  of 
this  Order. 


38    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

lies  before  us,  it  matters  little  whether  we  wear  gown  or 
doublet.  For  my  part,  I  should  rather  be  the  meanest  of 
your  sailors  on  this  voyage  you  wish  to  make,  than  be  the 
Superior  of  La  Rabida.  But  each  must  do  the  work  that 
is  nearest  his  hand." 

When  the  little  conclave  separated  in  the  evening,  it  was 
settled  that  the  physician  should  seek  out  Sebastian  Rodriguez 
and  bring  him  up  to  the  convent,  without  telling  him  of 
the  particular  service  wanted.  Meanwhile  the  superior  was 
to  prepare  his  letters  to  the  queen  and  her  confessor. 

The  next  day  the  doctor  appeared  with  the  pilot  of  Lepe. 
As  the  latter  came  before  Colon  and  Fray  Antonio  in  the 
latter's  room,  he  showed  a  strong,  well-knit  frame  of  the 
middle  height,  a  face  and  neck  burned  to  a  deep  reddish- 
brown  by  years  of  scorching  sun,  and  a  frank  but  deter 
mined  cast  of  features.  Holding  his  woollen  sailor's  cap  in 
his  gnarled  hands,  he  made  a  clumsy  bow,  and  said,  with 
out  any  sign  of  embarrassment,  — 

"A  poor  servant  of  your  Worships,  Senores,  at  your 
orders." 

"Sebastian,  my  son,"  said  the  superior,  adopting  the 
priestly  mode  of  address,  "  I  want  some  one  to  do  a  piece 
of  work  for  me  which  is  not  easy,  and  must  be  done  by  one 
who  is  both  deaf  and  dumb.  Wilt  thou  do  it  for  me?  " 

"  WThy  not,  your  Reverence,"  answered  the  sailor,  "  if  it 
pass  not  my  powers? " 

"  Tis  on  land,  not  on  the  sea,  Son  Sebastian,"  continued 
the  friar;  "and  it  may  take  thee  many  a  league  from 
home." 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  me,  then,  reverend  father,"  the 
sailor  replied ;  "  for  I  am  but  half  a  man  on  dry  land. 
Still,  I  will  not  go  back  on  my  given  word." 

"  Look  you,  Sebastian  !  "  the  monk  said,  taking  up  a 
small  packet  from  the  table ;  "  here  is  a  letter  for  his 
Grace  the  Bishop  of  Avila,  which  thou  art  to  give  into  his 
own  hands.  He  is  now  at  the  camp  of  their  Highnesses, 
before  the  city  of  Granada.  Thou  wilt  have  no  trouble  in 
finding  his  Grace,  for  thou  hast  but  to  go  toward  the  royal 


MISSION  OF  THE  EX-PRIVATEERSMAN.  39 

pavilions  on  reaching  camp,  and  any  one  will  tell  thee  where 
to  find  him.  I  have  marked  the  packet  '  On  their  Majes 
ties'  Service ;  '  and  if  any  hinder  thee  on  thy  way,  thou  hast 
but  to  show  it  and  say  thou  bearest  a  message  to  Court,  to 
gain  free  passage.  Make  thy  journey  as  quickly  as  may  be, 
and  hasten  back  with  the  reply  that  shall  be  given  thee. 
Thou  shalt  have  both  thanks  and  reward.  But  above  all, 
let  not  the  parcel  leave  thy  hands  except  for  those  of  his 
Grace  the  Bishop.  Here  is  money  for  thy  needs."  And 
the  superior  handed  him  some  silver  coins. 

"  Have  no  fear,  your  Reverence,"  the  pilot  said  cheer 
fully  ;  "  the  writing  shall  reach  its  haven  if  my  legs  but  hold 
out.  I  ask  your  blessing,  holy  father."  He  bent  his  head 
as  the  superior  bestowed  it  upon  him,  and  then  departed 
with  a  hearty  farewell  to  all  present. 

The  little  group  remaining  thought  it  would  take  three 
weeks  for  him  to  go  to  Granada  and  return  with  a  reply, 
allowing  him  a  week  each  way  and  a  week  for  detention  at 
Court.  The  way  was  not  so  very  long,  but  led  over  the 
mountains,  and  was  rugged  throughout ;  besides,  it  lay 
mostly  through  the  territory  from  which  the  Moors  had 
been  expelled  only  the  previous  year ;  and  in  the  confusion 
and  disorder  of  military  occupation  it  might  well  be  that  a 
single  messenger  should  meet  with  delay. 

During  the  days  of  waiting  which  followed,  Colon  was 
the  least  impatient  of  all  the  trio.  He  spent  most  of  his 
time  in  the  library  of  the  convent  and  in  conversing  with 
the  superior,  though  now  and  again  he  would  join  his  son 
Diego  in  the  garden,  where  the  latter  took  great  delight  in 
working  with  the  younger  monks.  The  superior  himself 
made  no  secret  of  the  anxiety  with  which  he  attended 
the  queen's  reply ;  while  the  young  physician  was  back 
ward  and  forward  between  the  convent  and  the  village  two 
or  three  times  each  day.  They  all  agreed  that  it  was  best 
for  Colon  not  to  go  much  to  the  village  at  present,  lest 
some  suspicion  of  his  real  purpose  should  be  aroused ;  for 
although  in  so  small  a  place  the  presence  at  the  convent 
of  a  stranger  of  his  distinguished  bearing  could  not  fail  to 


4O         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

excite  some  remark,  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  in  those  days 
for  men  of  active  life  to  seek  for  a  period  of  rest  in  some 
religious  house,  and  so  no  especial  meaning  need  attach  to 
Colon's  sojourn  with  the  superior.  He  also  deferred  for  the 
present  his  desire  to  meet  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  and 
converse  with  him  about  his  voyages,  and  also  his  search  for 
the  old  companions  of  his  own  earlier  cruises.  Three 
or  four  sailors  from  the  surrounding  district  did,  indeed, 
climb  the  convent  hill  to  seek  him  out,  either  because  they 
had  sailed  with  him  in  bygone  years,  or  had  heard  of  him 
as  a  famous  captain  when  on  their  own  voyages ;  but  to  all 
such,  beyond  a  warm  welcome  and  an  assurance  of  his 
gratitude  for  their  offers  of  service,  Colon  only  said  that  at 
present  he  was  "  in  port  for  repairs,"  and  could  not  yet  say 
when  he  would  command  a  ship  again.  It  was  no  new 
thing  for  him  to  have  to  wait ;  and  he  had  in  every  fibre  of 
his  strong  heart  the  deep-laid  conviction  that  all  would  be 
well  "  in  God's  own  time,"  as  he  was  accustomed  to  say. 

Only  two  weeks  had  passed  of  the  time  allowed  Sebastian 
Rodriguez  to  make  his  journey,  when  one  morning  that 
doughty  mariner  presented  himself  at  the  convent  gate,  ac 
companied  by  the  faithful  Garcia  Fernandez.  On  hearing 
of  their  presence  the  superior  hastened  to  meet  them,  with 
a  great  fear  in  his  heart  lest  some  disaster  had  overtaken 
his  messenger  and  prevented  his  reaching  Granada.  One 
look  at  the  joyful  face  of  the  physician,  however,  was  enough 
to  dispel  all  doubts.  The  pilot  had  made  the  journey,  and 
returned  with  the  queen's  reply. 

Sending  them  both  to  his  room,  the  friar  hastened  to 
summon  Colon  before  hearing  Sebastian's  report.  When 
they  were  all  together,  the  worthy  mariner  carefully  drew  a 
packet  from  the  inner  depths  of  his  jerkin  and  handed  it  to 
the  superior.  The  latter  hurriedly  broke  its  seals  and  ran 
his  eye  over  it ;  then  giving  it  to  Colon,  exclaimed,  — 

"  Now,  glory  be  to  God,  Senor  Cristoval !  Our  gracious 
queen  has  ever  the  same  noble  heart." 

Checking  his  enthusiasm  at  the  sight  of  the  pilot  stand 
ing  motionless  before  them,  he  added,  — 


MISSION  OF  THE  EX-PRIVATEERSMAN.          41 

"  My  son,  thou  must  have  refreshment.  If  thou  wilt  go 
to  the  refectory,  the  brothers  will  gladly  serve  thee,  and  in  a 
little  while  we  will  hear  the  account  of  thy  travels.  Such 
reward  as  it  is  in  our  power  to  give  thou  shalt  surely  have." 

"  Whenever  your  Reverence  pleases,"  Sebastian  replied. 
"  *T  was  not  so  hard  to  do  as  I  thought."  And  with  a  look 
of  satisfaction  he  turned  to  leave  the  room. 

"  Thou  hast  sailed  a  straighter  course  than  thou  knewest, 
comrade,  good  pilot  though  thou  art,"  said  Colon  to  him, 
heartily;  "and  I  for  one  owe  thee  many  thanks." 

"  Nay,  your  Worship,"  said  the  sailor,  evidently  flattered  ; 
"  't  was  but  a  ship-boy's  cruise,  —  a  fair  wind  and  a  smooth 
sea." 

"Yon  goes  a  man  after  my  own  heart,"  said  Colon,  as 
the  pilot  stepped  into  the  courtyard. 

Then  spreading  the  queen's  letter  before  him,  he  studied 
it  intently. 


IV. 


THE  FAMOUS  MULE  OF  JUAN  THE  HARD- 
HEADED. 

THE  letter  of  Queen  Isabella  thanked  the  father  supe 
rior  cordially  for  the  loyal  and  pious  motives  which 
had  led  him  to  address  her,  and  directed  him  as  soon  as  he 
received  her  Majesty's  present  reply  to  come  to  the  royal 
camp  before  Granada  and  present  himself  before  her.  He 
was  likewise  commissioned  to  say  to  Colon,  on  the  queen's 
behalf,  that  he  should  now  be  of  good  heart,  and  look  for 
ward  with  confidence  to  the  speedy  realization  of  all  his 
hopes. 

"  Her  Highness  is  indeed  gracious,"  said  Colon,  as  he 
returned  the  letter  to  the  friar ;  "  but  I  will  recompense  to 
the  Crown  a  thousand  fold  whatever  they  advance  for  my 
voyage." 

At  the  first  renewed  sign  of  promise  all  the  bitterness 
and  disappointment  of  those  long  twenty  years  of  waiting 
had  vanished.  To  the  ardent  imagination  of  Colon  all 
difficulties  had  been  overcome,  the  voyage  successfully  ac 
complished,  and  the  treasures  pf  the  Indies  were  flowing 
into  the  coffers  of  the  Spanish  monarchs.  Sanguineness  is 
usually  counted  as  a  fault ;  but  had  this  man  been  less  san 
guine  he  would  never  have  done  the  work  he  did. 

"  Her  Majesty's  commands  admit  of  no  delay,  my 
friends,"  the  superior  said,  the  monkish  spirit  of  prompt 
obedience  asserting  itself.  "  I  must  start  at  once  for  the 


THE  MULE   OF  JUAN  THE  HARD-HEADED.        43 

Court,  unless,  indeed,  the  Senor  Colon  should  have  a  reason 
why  I  should  wait  upon  him?  " 

"  Far  be  it  from  me  to  hold  you  for  a  single  hour,  Father," 
returned  Colon,  hastily.  "  If  you  will  but  continue  the 
kindness  to  which  I  am  already  so  much  beholden,  I  will 
await  your  return,  or  such  message  as  you  shall  send  me, 
here  among  the  godly  brethren  of  La  Rabida." 

"The  advantage  will  be  ours,  Senor,"  replied  the  friar. 
"  But,  Gossip  Garcia,  between  us  we  must  find  some  beast  to 
carry  me  on  the  way ;  for  it  will  be  neither  prudent  nor  be 
coming  for  me  to  make  the  journey  to  her  Majesty  on  foot. 
And  our  little  monastery  is  not  yet  so  rich  that  it  can  main 
tain  a  stable,"  he  added,  with  a  comical  look  of  despair. 

"  By  no  means,  Father,"  the  physician  answered  ;  "  the 
journey  must  be  made  with  all  possible  haste.  Though," 
and  he  looked  puzzled  in  turn,  "  it  is  not  easy  to  find  among 
our  neighbors  here  a  beast  fit  for  travelling,  —  unless,  in  truth, 
we  ask  the  Pinzons,  and  for  many  reasons  I  would  not  do 
that  could  we  avoid  it." 

"You  are  very  right,  Garcia,"  said  the  superior;  "until 
we  know  the  wishes  of  her  Majesty  the  Queen  we  must 
avoid  anything  which  might  allow  a  knowledge  of  this  pro 
ject  to  get  abroad." 

"  It  may  be  that  herein  lies  a  way  out  of  the  dilemma, 
Father,"  suggested  Colon.  "Among  the  old  sailors  who 
have  sought  me  out  since  I  have  been  housed  under  your 
kind  roof  was  one  Juan  Rodriguez  Cabezudo,  who  many 
years  ago  made  several  voyages  with  me.  Hard-headed  is 
Juan  Rodriguez  in  name,  and  hard-headed  is  he  by  nature ; 
but  his  heart  is  sound  to  the  inmost  core.  In  his  offers  of 
service,  he  particularly  told  me  he  had  an  excellent  mule, 
which  he  much  lauded  as  a  good  traveller.  I  bear  it  well 
in  mind,"  and  Colon  laughed,  "because  it  seemed  to  me 
that  the  old  sea- wolf  was  anxious  I  should  know  that  now 
he  was  a  man  of  estate  ;  and  I  duly  wished  him  well  of  his 
good  fortune.  I  doubt  not  the  worthy  man  will  spare  the 
mule  if  he  knows  it  is  a  service  done  to  me." 

"  I  know  the  good  man  well,  Senor  Cristoval,"  the  physi- 


44         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

cian  said.  "  He  has  a  little  vineyard  between  Palos  and 
Moguer,  and  lives  now  quietly  at  his  ease ;  though  men  do 
say  his  life  in  other  times  was  stormy  enough." 

"  With  his  past  life  we  have  naught  to  do,  Friend  Garcia," 
objected  the  friar,  impatiently,  "  so  he  but  have  a  good  trav 
elling  beast  and  let  us  have  its  use.  Think  you  we  can 
compass  this,  Senor  Cristoval?" 

Here  the  young  physician  interposed,  and  said  that  if 
Colon  would  go  with  him  to  his  own  house  in  Palos,  he 
would  send  for  Juan  Rodriguez,  and  they  could  converse 
there  without  risk  of  exciting  attention,  and  without  giving 
Colon  the  needless  fatigue  of  the  long  walk  to  Moguer  and 
back.  To  this  Colon  assented  willingly,  and  a  messenger 
was  sent  to  the  old  sailor  to  go  to  the  physician's  house  as 
soon  as  he  could.  Then  the  trio  sought  out  Sebastian  the 
pilot,  and  heard  his  report  of  the  adventures  which  had  be 
fallen  him  on  his  journey  to  Granada,  and  of  the  wonderful 
sights  he  had  seen  in  the  royal  camp ;  where,  according 
to  his  belief,  the  vast  hosts  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns  were 
going  to  sweep  the  Moors  clean  out  of  Granada  and  drown 
them  all  —  king,  knights,  and  rabble ;  men,  women,  and 
children  —  in  the  deepest  waters  of  the  blue  Mediterranean. 
Having  dismissed  the  honest  mariner  with  many  hearty 
thanks  and  the  promised  reward,  the  three  associates  dis 
cussed  in  detail  the  representations  to  be  made  by  Fray  An 
tonio  to  the  queen.  Colon  gave  him  the  fullest  liberty  to 
speak  for  himself  before  her  Majesty. 

"  Such  arguments  as  are  familiar  to  my  mind  I  have  al 
ready  worn  threadbare  before  their  Highnesses  and  their 
counsellors,  reverend  father,"  he  said  with  sadness.  "  My 
main  hope  now  is  that  her  Majesty  will  hearken  to  your 
pious  exhortations  as  to  the  duty  of  their  Catholic  High 
nesses,  as  the  especial  champions  of  the  Church  against  all 
infidels  and  heathen,  to  exert  themselves  to  carry  the  truths 
of  our  blessed  religion  into  those  distant  lands  which  I  be 
lieve  shall  be  found  beyond  the  sea.  Should  you  wish  to  con 
sult  with  me,  or  should  her  Majesty  desire  my  presence,  I  will 
hasten  to  the  Court  without  the  loss  of  a  single  moment." 


THE  MULE  OF  JUAN  THE  HARD-HEADED.        45 

The  superior  informed  himself  minutely  of  how  this  and 
that  dignitary  of  the  Court  had  stood  with  reference  to  Colon 
and  his  project.  The  latter  stated  clearly  and  concisely  the 
position  of  the  chief  personages  about  the  sovereigns  re 
garding  himself,  and,  in  especial,  impressed  upon  the  supe 
rior  that  Alonzo  de  Quintanilla  and  Luis  de  Santangel, 
financial  officers  of  the  crown,  and  Fray  Diego  de  Deza,  tu 
tor  to  the  young  Prince  Juan,  had  shown  themselves  repeat 
edly  to  be  his  sincere  friends  and  supporters ;  but  that  he 
had  never  felt  that  the  Bishop  Talavera,  a  prelate  whom  the 
worthy  superior  held  in  the  highest  esteem,  was  friendly  to 
him  or  his  cause. 

"  Nay,  then,  Senor  Cristoval,"  the  friar  urged,  "  have  no 
fear  on  that  score.  I  shall  talk  with  no  one,  be  he  your 
friend  or  not,  about  this  matter,  save  with  the  Queen  Isa 
bella  alone.  I  did  but  wish  to  be  advised,  so  that  were  her 
Majesty  to  show  any  new  scruple  about  the  enterprise,  I 
might  discover  whence  it  took  its  source  and  overthrow  it. 
The  Holy  Book  commends  to  us  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent 
as  well  as  the  gentleness  of  the  dove,  my  son.  But  under 
her  Majesty's  express  injunction  that  you  should  hold  high 
your  hope,  Senor,  I  have  but  little  fear  of  a  new  repulse." 

When  the  noontide  heat  was  past,  Colon  and  the  physi 
cian  walked  down  to  the  latter's  house  in  the  village  to  await 
the  reply  of  Juan  Rodriguez.  They  had  not  been  long  seated, 
when  that  worthy  himself  appeared,  clattering  into  the  little 
courtyard  of  the  modest  house  upon  the  very  animal  they 
were  in  quest  of.  Dismounting  with  the  air  of  a  man  who 
had  been  accustomed  to  ride  all  his  life,  he  entered  the 
open  door  of  the  room  where  the  others  were  sitting,  and 
saluted  them  with  profound  gravity. 

Short  of  stature  and  dumpy  of  build,  his  weather-beaten 
and  wrinkled  face  might  have  passed  as  that  of  a  hard 
working  farmer,  had  not  a  certain  habit  of  spreading  his 
stumpy  legs  and  a  most  preposterously  loud  voice  stamped 
Juan  as  a  man  who  knew  more  of  ropes  than  of  grape-vines. 
A  head  as  round  as  any  orange  was  set  close  on  his  shoul 
ders  by  a  thick  and  muscular  neck,  and  covered  with  closely 


46    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

curling  locks  of  wiry  hair,  which  with  the  short,  stubby 
beard  surrounding  his  face,  was  liberally  sprinkled  with  gray. 
It  was  not  necessary  for  the  good  man  to  open  his  mouth 
for  one  to  know  why  he  was  surnamed  Cabezudo,  or  hard- 
headed.  His  whole  appearance  justified  the  title. 

"  Your  servant,  Master  Cristoval,  and  yours,  Senor  Doctor," 
he  rumbled  out.  "  They  told  me  your  Worships  wanted  to 
see  me,  and  here  I  am  at  your  orders.  Is  it  a  cruise,  Mas 
ter?"  he  asked,  turning  toward  Colon. 

"Not  so,  Juan  Rodriguez,"  the  latter  answered;  "but  I 
want  thee  to  make  me  thy  debtor  by  lending  me  thy  mule 
for  a  little,  since  thou  wert  so  good  as  to  make  the  offer 
to  me." 

"  There  is  no  better  mule  between  here  and  Seville  than 
mine,  Master,"  the  other  replied,  with  a  glance  of  pride  out 
into  the  courtyard.  "  She  has  a  trot  as  easy  as  a  cradle." 

"  Then  thou  wilt  lend  me  thy  beast,  Friend  Juan?  "  Colon 
asked. 

"  Master,  the  beast  is  a  good  beast,  and  I  would  not  have 
harm  come  to  her." 

"  I  will  be  thy  warranty,  Juan,  against  any  harm  befalling 
thy  mule." 

"  Your  Worship  is  somewhat  over-tall  for  the  little  brute,  — 
to  make  so  bold,  Master  Cristoval,"  Juan  said  in  a  doubtful 
tone. 

"  'Tis  not  I  who  will  ride  the  mule,  thou  old  fault-finder  !  " 
Colon  said  with  a  laugh.  "'Tis  my  honored  friend  the 
pious  guardian  of  the  convent  up  yonder,  and  his  Reverence 
is  less  my  size  than  thine.  But  I  have  his  journey  greatly 
at  heart,  Juan,  for  much  will  it  advantage  me  ;  and  I  offered 
to  find  him  a  beast  to  ride,  counting  upon  thy  goodness. 
'Tis  no  great  distance  he  travels,  and  the  mule  shall  be 
cared  for  as  though  she  were  my  own." 

"  They  say  at  sea,  Master,  that  't  is  better  to  carry  the 
crucifix  aboard  ship  and  leave  t\\Q  padre  on  shore,"  the  old 
fellow  said  doubtfully.  "  I  know  not  whether  it  be  the 
same  with  the  lading  of  a  mule  or  not." 

"  Now  leave  thy  profane  railings  for  the  tavern,   Juan 


THE  MULE   OF  JUAN  THE  HARD-HEADED.       47 

Rodriguez,"  Colon  answered  sharply.  "Thou  shouldst  re 
member  I  like  not  to  hear  Holy  Church  reviled.  If  thou 
wilt  not  let  me  have  the  mule,  say  so  straightly,  like  the 
plain  sailor  thou  art,  —  or  used  to  be  ;  but  if  thou  wilt,  be 
not  so  tedious  about  doing  thy  kindness,  for  it  but  lessens 
the  thanks  I  shall  have  to  give." 

"  Your  Worship  knows  that  I  honor  the  Church,  and  am 
a  humble  votary  of  Our  Lady  of  Montserrate,"  Juan  said, 
with  an  attempt  at  looking  pious ;  "  but  it  is  no  sin  to  know 
a  good  beast  when  you  see  it,  and  care  for  it  as  it  deserves, 
Master." 

"Thou  hast  been  so  much  with  thy  mule,  Juan,"  Colon 
answered  in  despair,  "  that  thou  art  growing  like  her.  Wilt 
thou  let  me  have  thy  beast  or  not?  " 

"  Surely,  Master  Cristoval,  all  I  have  is  at  your  Worship's 
service,  and  proud  will  I  be  to  wait  upon  you  in  anything 
you  may  wish.  Yet  that  little  mule  is  like  a  child  to  me ; 
were  aught  to  befall  it,  I  would  not  know  where  to  get 
another." 

"Then  thou  canst  not  lend  me  the  mule,  colleague?" 
Colon  said. 

"  Nay,  Master,  I  said  not  so." 

"Then  thou  wilt  lend  her  to  me,  Friend  Juan? " 

"Why,  and  it  please  you,  Master,  'twas  what  I  plainly 
meant  to  say,  only  I  have  not  the  trick  of  easy  speech.  It 
would  ill  become  me  to  refuse  your  Worship  any  service  I 
can  do." 

"There  spoke  the  man  I  used  to  know,"  Colon  replied 
heartily.  "  I  told  his  Reverence  thou  wouldst  serve  us  in 
this,  and  that  thy  head  was  harder  than  thy  heart.  Thou 
hast  my  thanks,  Juan  Rodriguez,  and  I  will  answer  that  the 
little  beast  is  treated  as  thou  wouldst  have  her." 

Having  given,  with  many  protestations  of  respect  and 
excuses  for  his  boldness,  a  great  variety  of  cautions  and 
suggestions  as  to  the  care  and  management  of  his  precious 
mule,  the  old  sailor  trudged  away.  He  was  well  satisfied 
with  having  served  "  the  Commander ; "  but  now  and  again 
a  twinge  of  regret  shot  through  his  mind  as  he  thought  that 


48         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

for  some  time  he  must  forego  the  proud  pleasure  of  riding 
through  the  neighborhood  "  like  a  somebody,"  as  he  said  to 
himself  in  the  Spanish  phrase. 

Colon  and  Garcia  Fernandez  returned  to  the  convent, 
whither  the  mule  was  shortly  afterward  brought  by  a  neigh 
bor  of  the  physician.  In  order  to  avoid  observation,  the 
superior  had  determined  to  make  his  start  after  nightfall ; 
this  plan  having  the  additional  advantage  of  enabling  him  to 
escape  the  burning  heat  of  the  summer  sun  in  crossing  the 
plains  which  lie  between  Palos  and  the  mountains.  All  was 
soon  ready  for  his  departure.  The  affairs  of  the  convent,  in 
his  absence,  had  been  intrusted  to  the  brother  next  in  rank, 
and  Colon  and  his  son  were  commended  to  the  hospitable 
care  of  the  little  community.  At  the  evening  service  in  the 
chapel  the  superior  himself  had  officiated,  his  two  friends 
devoutly  taking  part  in  the  exercises,  and  Colon  in  particular 
committing  this  enterprise  of  the  friar's,  which  was  of  so 
great  moment  to  himself,  to  that  Divine  Providence  whose 
aid  he  continued  to  invoke  until  the  last  moment  of  his 
life.  Then,  the  evening  being  well  advanced,  with  many 
hearty  farewells  and  prayers  for  his  success,  the  father 
superior  mounted  the  mule  of  Juan  Rodriguez,  and  started 
on  his  journey  in  the  bright  starlight  of  the  southern  night. 

We  may  be  sure  that  he  made  his  way  as  rapidly  as  was 
practicable  over  the  broad  plains  and  rugged  mountains 
which  lay  between  him  and  the  last  stronghold  of  the  Moors 
in  Spain  ;  though  of  the  incidents  of  his  journey  we  have  no 
record.  Arriving  at  the  royal  headquarters,  which  were 
then  established  at  that  town  of  Santa  F£  which  the  sover 
eigns  had  built  close  to  the  walls  of  Granada  as  a  token  that 
they  meant  not  to  turn  their  backs  on  the  city  until  the 
Cross  had  supplanted  the  Crescent,  Fray  Antonio  caused 
his  arrival  to  be  announced  to  the  queen  without  loss  of 
time. 

He  was  soon  summoned  to  her  Majesty's  presence,  and 
greeted  as  a  trusted  friend  and  faithful  counsellor.  In  as 
few  words  as  possible  he  described  the  reason  of  his  per 
sonal  appeal  to  the  queen  in  behalf  of  Colon ;  the  deep 


THE  MULE   OF  JUAN  THE  HARD-HEADED.       49 

impression  made  upon  him  by  the  latter ;  the  vast  field  for 
the  spread  of  the  Catholic  religion  which  would  be  opened 
up  were  the  kingdoms  of  Asia  in  reality  to  be  reached  by 
a  short  cut  across  the  western  ocean ;  and,  finally,  the  in 
significance  of  the  cost  and  preparations  involved  if  the  two 
vessels  available  at  Palos  were  pressed  into  this  service. 
For  the  present  he  purposely  refrained  from  dwelling  on  the 
more  material  side  of  the  project.  He  had  gained  an  in 
timate  knowledge  of  the  characters  both  of  the  king  and 
queen,  when  the  latter's  confessor,  and  knew  that  while 
Isabella  was  most  easily  to  be  persuaded  to  any  undertaking 
by  considerations  of  religion,  her  royal  husband  had  ever  an 
eye  to  the  main  chance,  and  would  be  more  likely  to  give 
his  approval  to  the  once  rejected  proposal  by  the  induce 
ment  of  cargoes  of  gold  and  silks  and  spices  and  new 
dominions,  which  would  raise  Spain  to  a  higher  rank  among 
the  powers  of  Europe.  As  he  had  intimated  to  Colon,  the 
prudent  monk  accordingly  reserved  these  arguments  to  meet 
the  objections  he  was  sure  would  be  made  by  King  Ferdi 
nand  to  any  revival  of  Colon's  scheme  at  that  time. 

The  queen  herself  listened  with  evident  interest  to  all 
Fray  Antonio  said.  She  did  not  attempt  to  disguise  her 
sympathy  for  Colon  and  his  aims,  or  her  belief  in  their 
practicability.  But  she  showed  the  monk,  in  a  few  frank 
sentences,  how  almost  impossible  it  had  been  for  her  to 
undertake  an  enterprise  of  the  magnitude  of  that  which 
Colon  proposed,  at  a  time  when  her  own  realm  was  en 
gaged  in  a  life-and-death  struggle  with  the  Moorish  kings, 
when  her  treasures  were  exhausted,  and  when,  with  few 
exceptions,  all  her  most  trusted  advisers,  including  King 
Ferdinand  himself,  had  opposed  the  project  as  doubtful  both 
of  execution  and  advantage. 

"You  should  remember,  reverend  sir,"  the  queen  had 
said,  "  that  for  fifty  years  our  neighbors  of  Portugal  have 
been  making  voyages  of  discovery  along  the  African  coast 
in  search  of  a  path  to  Asia,  and  therein  have  spent  a  vast 
treasure  and  lost  great  numbers  of  their  stoutest  seamen, 
with  no  return  in  any  wise  proportioned  to  these  sacrifices. 

4 


5<D         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

With  such  an  experience  so  near  our  borders,  it  is  not  cause 
for  wonderment  that  our  Council  should  shrink  from  embark 
ing  in  so  perilous  a  venture  at  a  season  when  every  man  and 
every  maravedi  are  so  sorely  needed  here  at  home." 

Now,  however,  the  queen  continued,  since  Providence  had 
so  blessed  the  Spanish  arms  that  the  war  was  almost  ended, 
and  it  was  only  a  question  of  time  when  Granada,  the  last 
refuge  of  the  Saracens,  must  yield,  the  queen  was  anxious 
to  advance  the  plans  of  Colon,  if  it  should  be  in  any  way 
feasible ;  and  most  particularly  did  she  wish  to  dissuade  him 
from  making  any  application  to  the  other  sovereigns  of 
Europe.  All  this  Fray  Antonio  was  to  communicate  to 
Colon,  and  to  add  a  renewed  message  of  hope,  and  the 
queen's  pledge  that  as  soon  as  the  affairs  of  the  siege 
permitted,  his  proposals  should  have  immediate  attention. 
Meantime  the  superior  himself  was  to  remain  at  the  Court, 
where  he  could  be  consulted  by  their  Majesties  as  they 
might  find  leisure  to  treat  of  the  affair. 

The  good  father  took  the  first  opportunity  to  inform 
Colon  by  letter  of  the  friendly  disposition  shown  by  her 
Majesty,  and  the  encouragement  she  held  out  to  him  of  a 
speedy  solution  of  his  anxieties.  The  receipt  of  this  news 
filled  Colon  with  a  quiet  confidence  and  assurance  of  suc 
cess  to  which  his  mind  had  long  been  a  stranger ;  while  the 
more  excitable  physician  could  hardly  contain  his  impatience 
from  day  to  day,  so  eager  was  he  for  further  word  from 
Fray  Antonio.  It  came,  not  long  afterward,  in  a  letter  to 
Garcia  Fernandez  himself,  saying  that  the  queen  had  sent  a 
summons  to  Diego  Prieto,  the  alcalde  mayor,  or  chief  officer, 
of  the  village  of  Palos,  ordering  him  to  appear  without  delay 
at  the  Court,  on  the  service  of  the  Crown.  The  superior 
explained  to  Garcia  Fernandez  in  his  letter  that  the  object 
of  this  summons  was  to  inquire  into  the  convenience  of 
fitting  out  an  expedition  for  Colon  from  that  port ;  but  that 
no  hint  had  been,  or  would  be  given  as  yet  of  its  destina 
tion,  it  being  spoken  of  only  as  "  a  voyage  to  be  made  in 
their  Majesties'  interests." 

This  piece  of  news  proved  too  much  even  for  Colon's 


THE  MULE   OF  JUAN  THE  HARD-HEADED.        51 

disciplined  self-control.  The  convent  library  lost  its  restful 
charms,  and  he  found  himself  wondering  why  he  had  not 
been  sent  for  by  the  queen,  and  picturing  the  intrigues  and 
obstacles  which  would  be  invented  by  the  opponents  of  his 
scheme  to  hinder  its  realization  as  soon  as  they  should  know 
that  it  had  been  revived  and  received  with  favor  by  Queen 
Isabella.  Fortunately  this  anxiety  was  not  to  be  of  long 
duration ;  for  within  a  fortnight  Diego  Prieto,  the  alcalde, 
himself  returned  from  Granada,  bringing  with  him  another 
letter  from  Fray  Antonio  to  his  friend  the  physician,  and, 
what  interested  the  little  community  a  great  deal  more, 
word  that  their  Majesties  had  raked  up  that  old  sentence 
of  the  Council,  and  were  likely  at  any  day  to  demand  the 
two  ships  and  their  crews,  and  send  them  off  on  a  voyage 
somewhere. 

But  to  all  the  clamorous  inquiries  of  his  fellow-townsmen  as 
to  the  destination  of  the  cruise,  and  the  details  about  it,  the 
worthy  magistrate  would  only  answer,  with  a  plentiful  show 
of  temper,  — 

"  Now  ask  that  of  Our  Lady  in  your  prayers,  good  people, 
for  I  know  not.  Since  when  did  our  gracious  sovereigns 
whisper  to  me  the  secrets  of  the  kingdom  ?  For  all  I  know, 
ye  idiots,  the  ships  are  to  seek  the  Isles  of  the  Blessed  that 
our  sailors  tell  their  idle  tales  about." 

Within  the  harmless-looking  packet  which  Fray  Antonio 
had  asked  the  alcalde  to  take  with  him  "by  very  special 
favor"  to  his  good  friend  the  physician  Garcia,  was  con 
tained  the  explanation  of  the  whole  matter.  Therein  lay 
'i  a  letter  to  Colon,  calling  him,  on  the  queen's  invitation, 
to  the  Court  without  delay,  and  enclosing  no  less  a  sum 
than  twenty  thousand  maravedies  in  golden  florins  of  Ara- 
gon,  to  provide  for  the  purchase  of  a  mule  for  his  journey 
and  a  wardrobe  suitable  for  his  appearance  at  Court.  All 
this  was  sent  under  cover  to  the  young  physician,  so  that  the 
recent  inquiries  about  the  ships  should  not  be  coupled  with 
Colon's  name  in  advance  of  the  completion  of  the  queen's 
intentions. 

Where  Colon  found  this  second  mule  our  documents  do 


52         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

not  show  ; l  but  with  a  heavy  purse  and  a  light  heart  we  may 
rest  assured  he  did  not  waste  as  many  words  over  it  as  over 
the  first  one.  That  his  preparations  were  soon  made  we  do 
know,  and  also  that,  leaving  the  lad  Diego  in  the  kind  keep 
ing  of  the  brothers  of  La  Rabida,  and  asking  the  young 
physician  to  see  to  the  boy's  welfare  also,  he  bade  farewell 
to  son  and  friend,  and  set  out  for  the  Court  of  their  Most 
Catholic  Majesties,  Ferdinand  of  Aragon  and  Isabella  of 
Castile. 

1  Some  of  the  more  critical  historians  of  late  have  derided  the  tes 
timony  of  Juan  Rodriguez  Cabezudo,  which  was  given  twenty  years 
after  the  incident  here  recorded,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  absurd  to 
suppose  that  he  would  remember  the  loan  of  his  mule  after  so  great 
a  lapse  of  time.  They  overlook  the  fact  that  a  good  mule  was  worth 
from  eight  thousand  to  ten  thousand  maravedies  in  those  days,  and 
the  owner  of  one  was  a  marked  man  in  a  rural  community.  The  evi 
dence  concerning  the  visit  of  Colon  to  La  Rabida  is  directly  as  we 
have  related  it,  notwithstanding  the  version  given  by  Prescott  and 
Irving  in  their  brilliant  volumes.  Those  who  care  to  judge  for  them 
selves  may  find  the  details  of  the  testimony  in  the  Appendix. 


V. 

BARGAINING   FOR  A  WORLD. 

IN  the  vivid  pages  of  Prescott  and  Irving  and  Lockhart 
we  have  a  series  of  pictures,  as  clear  as  those  of  the 
camera,  of  that  camp  before  the  Moorish  capital  where 
Colon  now  arrived.  Eighty  thousand  mail-clad  Christian 
soldiers  surrounded,  as  by  a  girth  of  iron,  the  "  infidel "  de 
fenders,  who,  do  what  they  might,  could  neither  break  the 
blockade  and  escape  from  their  city,  nor  open  it  long  enough 
to  receive  the  help  they  so  much  needed  from  without.  In 
those  days  of  helmet  and  breastplate,  of  cross-bow  and 
lance,  when  nearly  all  the  fighting  was  still  hand  to  hand, 
and  the  bonds  of  discipline  were  so  much  looser  than  now, 
an  army  like  that  of  the  Spanish  monarchs  would  make  a 
greater  impression  on  the  beholder  than  one  of  half  a  million 
men  to-day.  Add  to  this  the  vast  array  of  camp-followers, 
servants  and  hangers-on  which  the  military  methods  of  the 
age  allowed,  and  the  large  civil  and  ecclesiastical  element 
present  in  attendance  on  the  royal  Court,  and  we  can  well 
believe  that  the  plain  of  Granada  bore  a  stirring  appearance 
as  Colon  entered  it  on  that  autumn  day,  four  hundred  years 
ago. 

Since  their  city  of  Santa  F£  had  progressed  far  enough  to 
afford  them  shelter,  their  Majesties  had  abandoned  the  more 
exposed  life  of  the  camp  pavilions  for  the  greater  security 
of  walls  of  stone  and  roofs  of  tile  ;  and  over  their  new  pal 
ace  now  floated  the  standards  of  Aragon  and  Castile.  To 
the  king  and  queen  this  siege  meant  all  the  word  implied. 


54    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

It  was  indeed  a  "  sitting  down  "  before  the  Moorish  walls ; 
and  there  they  plainly  intended  to  remain  until  the  pressure 
of  famine  or  a  realizing  sense  of  the  uselessness  of  further 
resistance  should  induce  their  stubborn  adversary,  Boab- 
dil  the  Unlucky,  to  open  his  gates,  own  himself  beaten,  and 
give  up  Granada,  and  with  it  the  dominion  of  his  race  in 
Spain. 

Colon  sought  out  the  lodgings  of  his  friend  the  superior, 
and  was  soon  in  possession  of  all  that  had  passed  between 
that  good  ally  and  the  queen.  Fray  Antonio  also  related  to 
him  all  that  he  had  been  able  to  gather  as  to  the  disposi 
tion  of  her  Majesty's  advisers  toward  the  project,  and  told 
Colon  with  emphasis  that  he  need  have  no  fear  that  any 
opposition  would  now  divert  the  queen  from  her  determina 
tion  to  grant  him  the  means  he  required.  But,  knowing 
the  impetuous  nature  of  the  man  he  addressed,  the  friar 
warned  Colon  that  he  should  bear  in  mind  the  excessive  de 
mands  now  made  upon  their  Majesties'  attention,  and  not 
yield  to  a  feeling  of  impatience  if  delays  were  still  encoun 
tered.  Those  who  were  in  a  position  to  be  best  informed 
were  of  the  opinion  that  the  war  was  nearing  its  close  ;  that 
it  was  only  a  matter  of  a  few  weeks  when  the  city  must  sur 
render,  and  the  Moors  be  banished  once  and  forever  from 
the  kingdom.  This  done,  the  queen  would  be  free  to  carry 
into  execution  the  proposal  of  Colon,  and,  the  friar  asserted, 
would  assuredly  do  so.  Meantime  her  prompt  and  generous 
response  to  the  representations  made  by  Fray  Antonio  and 
her  summons  of  Colon  to  the  Court  were  sufficient  evidence 
of  the  sincerity  of  her  purpose  toward  him. 

To  all  of  these  suggestions  Colon  yielded  a  ready  ac 
quiescence.  Now  that  he  had  positive  assurances  of  her 
Majesty's  intention  to  forward  his  undertaking,  it  was  far 
more  easy  to  wait  than  it  had  been  in  former  years,  when  he 
was  in  doubt  as  to  whether  she  would,  after  all  his  patience, 
give  him  the  aid  he  solicited,  or  dismiss  his  whole  scheme 
as  impracticable.  With  a  heart  made  lighter  and  his  reso 
lution  still  further  confirmed  by  the  encouraging  words  of 
his  friend,  Colon  caused  his  arrival  to  be  announced  to 


BARGAINING  FOR  A    WORLD.  55 

the  queen,  and  awaited  in  some  impatience  her  Majesty's 
orders. 

These  were  not  long  delayed.  Queen  Isabella  com 
manded  that  he  should  be  ushered  at  once  into  her  pres 
ence.  So  kindly  and  courteous  was  the  reception  given 
him,  that  Colon  never  to  his  dying  day  recalled  it  without  a 
declaration  of  his  gratitude.  Frankly  and  earnestly  her 
Majesty  set  before  him,  as  she  had  already  done  with  Fray 
Antonio,  the  difficulties  and  embarrassments  which  at  the 
moment  surrounded  her.  Let  these  once  but  lessen  some 
what,  the  queen  said,  and  her  attention  should  be  devoted 
to  the  project  which  Colon  had  so  much  at  heart.  Mean 
while  it  was  her  desire  that  he  remain  attached  to  the  Court, 
and  as  opportunity  could  be  found  she  and  the  king  would 
discuss  with  Colon  the  details  of  his  enterprise.  With  these 
and  many  assurances  of  her  confidence  and  sympathy,  her 
Majesty  dismissed  him  for  the  time  being,  commending  him 
to  her  officers  as  one  entitled  to  particular  consideration 
and  regard. 

In  the  weeks  which  followed  Colon  for  the  first  time  fully 
felt  the  grateful  sensation  which  was  supposed  in  olden  times 
to  attend  those  fortunate  beings  who  enjoyed  their  sover 
eign's  favor.  Royalty  had  set  the  seal  of  its  approval  upon 
his  "  pretension,"  and  the  suppliant  of  last  year  was  the  suc 
cessful  suitor  of  this.  To  the  sincere  welcome  of  the  few 
who  had  ever  been  his  steadfast  friends  Colon  now  saw 
added  the  flattery  of  many  who,  without  knowing  or  caring 
anything  about  his  plans,  recognized  only  that  he  had  the 
queen's  confidence,  and  smiled  on  him  accordingly.  But 
with  him  such  approaches  were  thrown  away ;  for  he  re 
membered  how  for  year  after  year  the  very  same  individuals 
had  ignored  his  earnest  arguments  or  scoffed  at  his  urgent 
pleadings,  and  he  valued  their  present  protestations  of 
friendship  at  exactly  what  they  were  worth,  —  nothing. 

Cheered  and  encouraged  by  the  certainty  of  his  near  suc 
cess,  and  sustained  by  the  devotion  of  his  real  friends,  —  who, 
if  scant  in  number,  were  both  faithful  and  influential,  —  Colon 
saw  the  days  pass  without  either  restiveness  or  misgiving. 


56    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

In  the  almost  daily  assaults  and  forays  which  took  place 
around  the  besieged  city,  either  to  weaken  the  Moors  or  to 
repulse  their  sallies,  he  several  times  took  part,  and  proved 
himself  to  be  as  brave  a  soldier  as  he  was  a  skilful  and  in 
trepid  sailor.  He  had  no  love  of  fighting  for  its  own  sake, 
and  his  whole  life  showed  that  he  was  sparing  of  men's  blood 
even  under  circumstances  when,  according  to  the  morals  of 
his  time,  he  would  have  been  applauded  for  shedding  it ; 
but  to  him  a  Moor  was  a  limb  of  Satan,  and  it  was  a  Chris 
tian's  duty  to  fight  him  wherever  he  was  found.  So,  having 
had  plenty  of  experience  in  his  younger  days,  he  offered 
his  services  now;  and  his  long  arm  and  practised  muscles 
made  the  Moorish  helmet  upon  which  his  sword  fell  ring 
again. 

Thus,  with  constant  discussion  and  consideration  of  his 
great  project  among  his  friends,  and  occasional  conferences 
with  their  Majesties  or  some  one  deputed  by  them,  as  to  the 
practical  details  of  its  accomplishment,  Colon  passed  the 
time  waiting  for  his  day  to  come.  "  Time  and  I  against 
the  world,"  the  Spaniards  say ;  and  at  length  he  heard  the 
hour  sound  when  his  great  work  was  to  be  consummated. 
On  the  second  day  of  January,  1492,  Muley  Boabdil  the 
Moor  delivered  to  King  Ferdinand  the  keys  of  the  city 
which  had  for  so  long  resisted  the  Spanish  arms,  and  after 
saluting  the  queen,  started  with  his  suite  toward  the  distant 
sierra,  where,  as  the  legends  say,  he  turned  to  take  a  last 
look  at  the  beautiful  capital  he  loved  so  well.  Few  passages 
in  history  are  more  pathetic,  none  is  more  worthily  told, 
than  this  turning  of  the  exiled  king  to  gaze  for  the  last  time 
on  the  land  of  his  fathers  and  the  home  of  his  faith.  And 
yet  even  the  eloquence  of  an  Irving  should  fail  with  us  of 
the  New  World  in  arousing  any  feeling  of  regret  over  the 
unfortunate  monarch's  woes ;  for  "  The  Last  Sigh  of  the 
Moor  "  dispersed  forever  the  mists  which  had  shrouded  our 
half  of  the  earth  since  the  day  of  its  creation. 

The  queen  kept  punctually  her  promise  to  Colon,  notwith 
standing  the  thousand  and  one  matters  requiring  the  royal 
decision.  The  disposition  to  be  made  of  the  conquered 


BARGAINING  FOR  A    WORLD.  57 

Moors ;  the  establishment  of  an  administration,  civil,  military, 
and  ecclesiastic,  for  the  new  province ;  the  rewards  for  those 
who  had  distinguished  themselves  in  the  campaign ;  the 
financial  and  other  measures  to  be  considered  in  view  of 
the  cessation  of  the  long  war,  —  all  these,  with  the  constant 
requirements  of  the  rest  of  her  kingdom,  were  enough  to 
excuse  the  queen  from  adding  to  her  cares  the  expedition 
planned  by  Colon.  What  possible  consideration  could  a 
Stanley  or  a  Nordenskjold  have  hoped  for  had  he  laid  his 
plans  for  a  journey  across  Africa  or  a  voyage  to  the  North 
Pole  before  the  Emperor  William  the  very  week  that  Paris 
fell  ?  Yet  in  the  midst  of  just  such  a  season  of  busy  excite 
ment  and  triumphant  confusion  did  Queen  Isabella  recall 
her  pledge  to  the  Genoese  navigator,  and  take  from  her 
manifold  other  duties  the  time  to  consider  his  petition  and 
appoint  a  commission  of  her  officers  to  agree  with  him  upon 
the  details  of  his  enterprise. 

These  negotiations  progressed  but  slowly,  despite  the 
well-known  sympathy  of  the  queen.  In  the  first  place, 
yielding  to  the  fanatic  zeal  of  their  priestly  advisers,  the 
Spanish  monarchs  had  decided  to  expel  from  their  king 
doms  all  the  Jews  who  were  settled  therein,  to  the  number 
of  several  hundred  thousand,  and  send  them  after  the 
Moors ;  and  the  practical  method  of  carrying  out  this  meas 
ure  called  for  much  discussion  and  consideration  on  the  part 
of  their  Majesties'  counsellors.  In  the  second  place,  the 
commissioners  considered  that  Colon's  demands  were  ex 
travagant,  and  even  impudent.  He  asked  to  be  made  ad 
miral  of  their  Majesties  in  the  western  ocean,  with  sole 
authority  over  the  lands  he  might  discover  therein,  and  re 
ceive  besides  one  tenth  of  all  the  profits  arising  from  what 
ever  discoveries  he  might  make.  Until  now  most  of  the 
members  of  the  commission,  and  especially  its  chief,  Fer 
nando  de  Talavera,  had  disputed  the  feasibility  of  Colon's 
plans,  and  looked  upon  them  as  the  dream  of  a  visionary. 
But  once  he  had  the  audacity  to  aspire  to  the  high  dignity 
of  an  admiral  of  Castile,  with  all  of  its  elaborate  privileges 
and  honors,  it  was  clear  that  he  must  be  taught  to  know  his 


58         WITH  THE  ADMIX AL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

place ;  and  the  question  of  the  discovery  of  a  new  road  to 
Asia  became  a  matter  of  no  importance  in  comparison  with 
the  colossal  presumption  of  this  foreign  sailor.  This  much 
did  the  worthy  prelate,  Talavera,  say  to  Colon  in  no  very 
gentle  words.  Having  himself  just  been  promoted  to  be 
Archbishop  of  Granada,  the  idea  of  any  other  mortal  aspir 
ing  to  an  equally  high  office  in  another  branch  of  the  royal 
service  seemed  to  him  especially  absurd. 

"  I  say  not,  most  reverend  sir,"  was  Colon's  reply,  "  that 
I  am  wholly  worthy  of  so  great  an  honor  at  their  Majesties' 
hands;  but  this  I  do  affirm,  and  must  maintain,  that  in 
order  honorably  to  represent  their  Majesties  before  the 
potentates  of  Asia,  and  to  preserve  a  proper  discipline  in 
the  new  lands  I  shall  discover,  and  to  have  that  weight  of 
authority  without  which  the  expedition  I  propose  must 
surely  end  in  disaster  and  distress,  I  must  be  clothed  with  a 
fitting  dignity.  Since  this  enterprise  is  to  be  conducted  by 
means  of  ships  and  upon  the  sea,  I  conceive  the  most  ex 
pedient  form  for  this  authority  I  need  to  be  the  office  of 
Admiral  for  their  Highnesses.  As  for  the  tithe  which  I  exact 
from  the  fruits  of  my  discovery,  't  is  but  justice,  and  no 
more ;  moreover  it  is  dedicated  to  a  holy  purpose  by  my 
vows,  and  cannot  be  abated.  I  crave  your  Eminence's  par 
don,  if  I  speak  with  unseemly  boldness ;  but  from  my  words 
I  cannot  turn  back." 

There  was  much  discussion  in  the  commission  as  to  this 
stand  of  Colon's.  His  own  friends  urged  him  to  accept 
some  other  title,  or  make  such  concession  as  might  be  re 
quired  to  secure  a  prompt  adjustment  of  his  contract  with 
the  Crown;  but  while  grateful  for  their  interest,  he  was 
inflexible. 

"  I  may  not  alter  my  position  because  I  must  not,  hon 
ored  friend,"  he  answered  to  Quintanilla,  the  queen's  audi 
tor-general,  who  pressed  him  strongly  to  abate  his  demands. 
"  With  less  authority  I  cannot  fitly  serve  our  sovereigns  in 
those  distant  lands,  and  with  less  reward  I  cannot  fulfil  the 
vows  I  have  made  to  redeem  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  If  I  find 
for  the  Crown  of  Castile  the  continent  of  Asia,  what  I  ask  is 


BARGAINING  FOR  A    WORLD.  59 

little  enough ;  if  I  find  it  not,  the  Crown  loses  naught.  But 
this  I  fear  not.  It  is  written  that  I  shall  not  fail,"  he  added 
with  a  grave  smile. 

What  passed  between  the  new  archbishop  and  Queen 
Isabella  we  do  not  know ;  but  when  the  commission  again 
convened  he  announced  that  her  Majesty  concurred  in 
thinking  the  claims  of  Colon  excessive,  and  therefore  they 
could  not  be  granted.  This  was  a  hard  blow  to  Colon ;  but 
he  would  not  yield  a  hair-breadth.  Taking  his  leave  of 
the  queen's  commissioners,  he  sought  out  his  friends,  and 
bade  them  farewell.  His  plans  were  not  yet  made,  he  told 
them ;  but  he  thought  he  should  seek  the  Court  of  France 
as  he  had  started  to  do  the  year  before. 

"  What  has  moved  her  Majesty  to  take  this  view  I  know 
not,"  he  said  to  his  friend  Fray  Diego  de  Deza ;  "but  this 
I  do  know,  that  her  generous  aid  and  sympathy  shall  ever  be 
borne  in  my  mind,  and  my  children's  children  shall  bless  her 
name.  I  pray  you  make  my  humblest  acknowledgments  to 
her  Majesty." 

With  this  he  set  out  from  the  city,  intending  to  return  to 
the  little  convent  at  Palos,  and  there  think  out  new  plans  in 
conference  with  the  two  good  friends  who  had  shown  so  in 
telligent  and  disinterested  a  sympathy  with  his  aims.  But 
his  friends  at  Court  were  no  less  devoted ;  for  no  sooner 
had  he  left  them  than  Luiz  de  Santangel  hastened  to  lay  be 
fore  the  queen  the  injustice  and  unwisdom  of  losing  all  the 
benefits  expected  from  this  enterprise  for  the  sake  of  a  point 
of  etiquette  which  might  amount  to  nothing,  and  so  revived 
her  sympathies  that  she  despatched  a  messenger  to  recall 
Colon  with  the  assurance  that  her  Majesty  herself  would 
answer  for  the  acceptance  of  his  conditions. 

Three  months  had  passed  in  these  dilatory  and  provoking 
discussions.  On  the  3©th  of  March  the  edict  expelling  the 
Jews  was  published,  and  on  April  17  the  "capitulation," 
or  formal  contract,  between  Colon  and  the  Crown  was  signed 
by  their  Majesties  on  the  bases  which  he  had  originally 
proposed  to  the  King  of  Portugal  and  so  steadfastly  insisted 
upon  in  all  his  long  negotiations  with  the  Court  of  Castile. 


6O         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

The  document  itself  was  short  enough,  considering  its 
weighty  matter.  Colon  had  only  asked  for  three  ships, 
pointing  out  that  two  of  these  were  already  practically 
available  if  use  were  made  of  the  penalty  laid  upon  Palos, 
and  had  estimated  the  whole  cost  of  his  undertaking  at  the 
moderate  sum  of  a  single  cuento,  or  one  million  of  mara- 
vedies.1  These  the  sovereigns  had  consented  to  furnish,  and 
there  only  remained  to  be  executed  the  agreement  as  to 
Colon's  reward  in  the  event  of  his  enterprise  proving  suc 
cessful.  Their  Majesties  accordingly  had  instructed  Juan 
de  Coloma,  one  of  their  principal  secretaries,  to  draw  up 
this  contract  in  proper  official  form,  and  present  it  to  them 
for  ratification ;  and  this  had  now  been  done.  The  proposal 
of  Colon  being  in  the  nature  of  a  petition,  the  "  capitula 
tion  "  assumed  the  character  of  a  reply  thereto ;  and  hence 
it  was  that  the  document  finally  submitted  to  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella  for  their  approval  was  couched  in  the  following 
language :  — 

"  THE  matters  petitioned  for,  which  Your  Highnesses  hereby 
grant  and  bestow  upon  Don  Cristoval  Colon,  in  partial  compensa 
tion  for  what  he  is  about  to  discover  in  the  Ocean  Seas  and  for 
the  voyage  which  he  is  now,  with  the  help  of  God,  about  to  make 
therein  upon  Your  Highnesses'  service,  are  those  which  follow: 

"Firstly.2  Your  Highnesses,  as  Sovereigns  (which  you  are) 
of  the  said  Ocean  Seas,  hereby  constitute  Don  Cristoval  Colon 
your  Admiral  in  all  those  islands  and  mainlands  which  by  his  skill 
or  efforts  shall  be  discovered  in  the  said  Ocean  Seas,  for  himself 
during  his  lifetime,  and,  after  his  death,  for  his  heirs  and  succes 
sors  from  one  to  the  other  forever;  with  all  the  dignities  and 
prerogatives  pertaining  to  the  said  rank,  according  as  Don  Alonso 
Henriquez,  Your  Highnesses'  Admiral  of  Castile,  and  his  prede 
cessors  in  the  said  office  were  accustomed  to  exercise  it  in  their 
several  districts." 

1  The  accounts,  which  were  closed  in  August,  1494,  give  the  total 
cost  of  this  voyage  as  one  million  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand 
maravedies,  or  about  twelve  thousand  three  hundred  dollars  of  our 
money,  —  truly  a  profitable   speculation  for  the  thrifty  Ferdinand  ! 
For  the  source  of  these  funds,  consult  Note  F  in  the  Appendix. 

2  We  copy  the  text  of  the  capitulation  as  recorded  in  Navarrete, 
tomo  ii.  pag.  7. 


BARGAINING  FOR  A    WORLD.  6 1 

The  king  and  queen  having  given  their  assent  to  this 
clause,  the  secretary  wrote  beneath  it,  — 

"  This  is  satisfactory  to  their  Highnesses. 

"  JUAN  DE  COLOMA." 

"Also.  Your  Highnesses  appoint  the  said  Don  Cristoval 
Colon  to  be  your  Viceroy  and  Governor-General  in  all  of  the  said 
islands  and  mainlands  which,  as  has  been  said,  he  shall  discover 
or  acquire  in  those  Seas ;  and  permit  that,  for  the  proper  govern 
ment  of  each  and  all  of  the  same,  he  shall  make  choice  of  three 
individuals  for  every  office,  from  among  whom  Your  Highnesses 
shall  choose  and  select  that  one  who  shall  be  best  for  your  ser 
vice  ;  and  thus  shall  be  the  better  ruled  all  those  countries  which 
Our  Lord  may  allow  him  to  find  and  acquire  for  the  benefit  of 
Your  Highnesses." 

Again  the  royal  assent  was  given,  and  the  secretary  made 
the  minute, — 

"  This  is  satisfactory  to  their  Highnesses. 

"  JUAN  DE  COLOMA." 

"Also.  Of  all  the  merchandise  of  every  kind,  —  whether 
pearls,  precious  stones,  gold,  silver,  spices,  or  other  articles  of 
whatever  sort,  kind,  or  description  they  may  be,  —  which  shall 
be  purchased,  secured  by  barter,  found,  acquired,  or  had  in  any 
manner  within  the  limits  of  the  said  Admiral's  jurisdiction,  Your 
Highnesses  hereby  bestow  upon  Don  Cristoval  Colon,  as  a 
gratuity,  the  tenth  part  of  everything;  and  desire  that  he  enjoy 
it  and  use  it  for  himself,  the  costs  of  acquisition  being  first  de 
ducted.  That  is  to  say;  of  all  that  shall  remain  clear  and  free 
after  paying  the  expenses,  he  shall  take  the  one- tenth  part  for 
himself  to  do  with  it  as  he  will,  and  the  other  nine  parts  shall 
remain  for  Your  Highnesses." 

This  was  certainly  a  broad  and  ample  return  to  make  to 
any  man,  however  great  his  services,  considering  that  the 
object  of  Colon's  search  was  nothing  less  than  the  whole 
continent  of  Asia ;  but  their  Majesties  showed  no  stint  in 
their  liberality,  and  agreed  to  this  clause  without  remon 
strance,  —  perhaps  because  it  cost  them  no  pangs  to  give 
away  what  was  not  theirs. 


62         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA, 

"  This  is  satisfactory  to  their  Highnesses,"  wrote  Juan  de 
Coloma  again,  and  signed  his  name. 

"  Also.  The  said  petitioner  enquires  whether,  if  any  dispute 
should  arise  in  the  place  where  such  commerce  and  trading  shall 
be  carried  on,  either  on  account  of  the  merchandise  which  he  may 
bring  from  the  said  islands  and  mainlands  to  be  discovered  and 
acquired  by  him,  as  before  said,  or  on  account  of  goods  taken 
from  merchants  here  to  be  exchanged  for  the  products  of  the 
said  countries,  it  shall  pertain  to  his  prerogatives  as  Admiral 
to  decide  such  dispute  ?  And  he  begs  that  it  may  please  Your 
Highnesses  that  provision  should  be  made  for  this  now,  so  that 
he,  or  his  lieutenant,  and  not  any  other  judge,  shall  determine 
such  causes." 

This  was  asking  a  good  deal  of  the  jealous  monarchs  of 
Spain,  for  nothing  was  considered  more  absolutely  a  pre 
rogative  of  royalty  than  the  administration  of  justice.  But 
even  at  this  the  king  and  queen  did  not  recoil. 

"This  is  satisfactory  to  their  Highnesses,"  the  secretary 
was  directed  to  write,  "  provided  that  it  pertains  to  the  said 
rank  of  Admiral  according  to  what  was  practised  by  the 
Admiral  Don  Alonso  Henriquez  and  his  predecessors  in 
their  respective  districts,  and  provided  it  is  just."  And  to 
this  he  signed  his  name. 

"Also.  In  all  the  ships  which  shall  be  fitted  out  for  the  said 
business  and  commerce,  whenever  and  wherever  and  as  often  as 
they  shall  be  despatched,  the  said  Don  Cristoval  Colon  may,  if 
he  shall  so  desire,  contribute  and  pay  the  one-eighth  part  of  all 
that  shall  be  expended  in  their  preparation,  and  shall  then  also 
receive  and  enjoy  the  one-eighth  part  of  all  the  profit  resulting 
from  the  voyages  of  such  ships." 

To  this  stipulation  Colon  attached  a  particular  impor 
tance.  One  of  the  chief  reproaches  of  those  who  had 
opposed  his  project,  both  in  Portugal  and  Spain,  had  been 
that  it  was  all  a  reckless  speculation  on  his  part ;  that  he 
ventured  nothing,  and  would  be  in  any  event  the  gainer. 
If  he  discovered  Asia,  they  observed,  great  dignities  and 
emoluments  would  be  his ;  but  even  if  he  failed  in  his 
effort,  he  would  have  secured  the  command  of  a  royal 
squadron  with  all  its  rank  and  perquisites,  and  this,  they 


BARGAINING  FOR  A    WORLD.  63 

argued,  was  in  itself  a  great  inducement  to  the  needy  foreign 
adventurer.  They  failed  to  consider  that  he  contributed 
the  utmost  any  man  has,  —  his  life  and  all  that  it  embraced ; 
but  critics  of  this  class  never  do  imagine  that  any  (other) 
man's  life  can  be  worth  anything  to  himself.  Colon  was 
quick  to  realize  this ;  and  to  testify  his  faith  in  the  practical 
results  of  his  undertaking  and  the  sincerity  of  his  proposals, 
he  insisted  on  being  allowed  to  take  an  eighth  share  in  the 
enterprise,  as  a  purely  commercial  venture.1 

To  this  the  Spanish  sovereigns  had  made  no  objection,  — 
an  additional  proof  of  how  little  they  realized  the  possibil 
ities  of  this  strange  partnership.  "  This  is  satisfactory  to 
their  Highnesses,"  the  secretary  was  told  to  write ;  and  to 
this  affixed  his  signature. 

These  were  the  only  clauses  in  the  contract  between  the 
Crown  of  Spain  and  the  Genoese  captain  who  undertook  to 
find  for  it  a  western  route  to  the  Indies,  and  found  instead 
a  western  world.  The  secretary  read  them  again  to  the 
king  and  queen,  and,  with  the  royal  sanction,  added  the 
formal  certificate  of  their  approval :  — 

"  The  aforesaid  petitions  are  granted  and  conceded,  with  the 
replies  of  Your  Highnesses  at  the  end  of  each  paragraph,  this 
seventeenth  day  of  April  in  the  year  of  the  Birth  of  Our  Sav 
iour  Jesus  Christ  One  thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety-two,  in 
this  city  of  Santa  Pe",  in  the  Plain  of  Granada." 

The  king  and  queen  now  attached  their  signatures  to  the 
contract,  and  returned  it  to  their  officer.  "  By  order  of  the 
King  and  Queen,  JUAN  DE  COLOMA,"  attested  the  secretary ; 
and  then  the  parchment  was  handed  to  Juan  Roiz  de 
Calcena,  another  of  the  royal  secretaries  to  be  registered  in 
the  chancellery. 

And  now  the  deed  was  done ;  the  treaty  of  partition 
made.  It  was  neither  an  intricate  nor  a  prolix  instrument. 
Colon  was  to  have  rank,  dignities,  authority,  emoluments, 
and  a  tithe  of  all  that  his  discoveries  produced,  even  should 
he  not  avail  himself  of  his  option  to  take  an  eighth  share  in 

1  His  friend,  Las  Casas,  is  very  explicit  in  his  statement  of  Co 
lumbus's  motive  in  making  this  stipulation. 


64         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

the  profits  of  the  adventure  besides.  The  Spanish  sover 
eigns  were  to  have,  as  they  hoped,  the  glorious  mission  of 
converting  the  vast  multitudes  of  Asia  to  the  Christian 
religion,  and  the  incidental  advantage  of  diverting  the 
countless  treasures  of  the  Orient  into  the  depleted  coffers 
of  Castile.  The  bargain  was  not  an  unfair  one  had  it  been 
kept  in  good  faith.  But  the  vagueness  of  its  conditions 
proved  fatal  to  Colon's  just  claims,  and  though  he  was 
persistent  in  insisting  to  his  dying  day  that  his  rank  applied 
to  all  the  Spanish  discoveries  in  America,  and  his  interests 
combined  amounted  to  "nearly  twenty-five  per  cent"  oftf// 
that  Spain  had  received  or  ever  should  receive  from  the 
New  World,  Ferdinand  found  it  an  easy  task  to  interpret 
the  "  capitulation  "  to  suit  his  own  more  royal,  if  less  loyal, 
views  and  necessities. 

Of  this,  fortunately  for  him,  Colon  had  no  anticipation. 
Happy  in  the  realization  of  his  high  hopes,  and  burning 
with  a  desire  to  crown  expectation  with  achievement,  he 
threw  himself  into  the  work  of  arranging  the  numberless 
details  called  for  by  the  extraordinary  nature  of  his  pro 
jected  journey.  The  next  two  weeks  were  full  of  busy 
preparation  at  the  royal  Court ;  for  now  Colon's  counsel  and 
suggestion  carried  weight,  and  his  views  were  solicited  upon 
every  measure  contemplated.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
orders  and  decrees  issued  in  quick  succession  by  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella  during  the  latter  days  of  April  give  clear  evi 
dence  of  the  earnestness  of  their  interest,  and  their  firm 
determination  to  spare  no  effort  to  make  the  voyage  a 
success,  so  far  as  lay  in  their  power.  One  decree  named 
Colon  Admiral  of  the  Ocean  Sea,  and  Viceroy  and  Gover 
nor-general  for  the  Crown  of  Spain  over  all  the  lands  he 
should  discover,  as  the  "capitulation"  provided;  although, 
as  was  but  just,  he  was  not  to  assume  these  honors  until  after 
his  discoveries  had  been  made,  his  office  in  the  mean  time 
being  that  of  Captain-general  of  the  fleet  he  was  author 
ized  to  equip.  Another  decree  directed  the  authorities  of 
the  whole  coast  of  Andalusia  to  furnish  to  him  three  ships 
with  which  to  make  the  voyage,  and  also  all  the  provisions 


BARGAINING  FOR  A    WORLD.  65 

and  supplies  —  timber,  powder,  arms,  dried  meat,  fish, 
biscuit,  wine,  and  oil  —  which  he  might  need;  and  to 
supply  him  with  all  the  ship-carpenters,  calkers,  riggers, 
and  other  artisans  he  should  require  for  putting  his  vessels 
in  proper  condition.  Another  ordered  the  officials  of  the 
Crown  throughout  the  same  seaboard  to  find  for  Colon  the 
pilots,  shipmasters,  and  mariners  he  needed  for  his  squad 
ron  ;  and  in  case  of  their  refusing  to  serve,  to  compel  them 
to  accompany  him.  Still  another  decree,  which  was  issued 
at  Colon's  personal  request,  guaranteed  to  those  who  sailed 
with  him  that  they  should  not,  while  absent  with  him  or 
immediately  upon  their  return,  be  sued  or  sentenced  in  the 
courts  of  Spain  for  any  offence  or  crime  previously  com 
mitted,  —  a  precaution  very  necessary,  as  he  explained,  when 
men  were  wanted  for  a  long  cruise ;  as  during  their  absence 
at  sea  they  might  be  prosecuted  for  all  sorts  of  claims,  just 
and  unjust,  and  condemned  without  a  chance  of  being 
heard.  Another  royal  order  excepted  from  inland  taxes 
and  duties  all  the  materials  and  supplies  taken  by  Colon ; 
while  others  yet  assured  to  those  who  supplied  the  expedi 
tion  either  with  the  ships  or  their  equipment  and  provis 
ions,  as  well  as  to  their  officers  and  crews,  that  they  should 
be  paid  full  value  for  their  property  or  services  at  the 
current  market-rates.  It  was  not  intended  to  confiscate 
the  vessels  or  supplies,  or  oblige  the  sailors  to  serve  for 
nothing ;  but  knowing  the  opposition  likely  to  arise  among 
the  ignorant  inhabitants  of  the  seaports  against  trusting 
their  property  and  precious  selves  to  a  voyage  into  unknown 
waters,  the  sovereigns  used  their  arbitrary  powers  over  the 
lives  and  property  of  their  subjects,  to  enable  Colon  to 
secure  what  he  needed  by  force,  if  he  could  not  obtain  it 
by  fair  trade  and  argument. 

To  all  these  mandates  was  added  one  other,  the  most 
notable  of  all,  which  called  upon  the  parish  of  Palos,  by 
name,  to  deliver  to  Colon,  as  he  might  select,  the  two  ships 
whose  services  were  due  to  the  Crown,  and  with  them  the 
equipments  and  crews  he  should  judge  necessary.  Thus, 
although  the  whole  province  of  Andalusia  was  nominally 

5 


66    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

obliged  to  find  the  three  ships  destined  for  the  voyage,  this 
particular  port  was  compelled  to  furnish  two  of  them  in 
virtue  of  the  sentence  under  which  it  lay. 

In  all  this  work  of  preparation  and  arrangement  Colon 
took  a  keen  delight,  and  his  knowledge  and  experience  are 
evident  in  the  care  and  completeness  with  which  all  the 
details  are  planned.  As  yet  his  destination  had  not  been 
made  public,  partly  to  avoid  the  difficulties  which  would 
come  from  alarming  those  whom  it  was  desired  to  enlist  in 
the  undertaking,  but  chiefly  to  conceal  for  as  long  as  pos 
sible  the  plans  of  the  Spanish  monarchs  from  their  adven 
turous  rival  of  Portugal.  The  decrees  merely  stated  that 
Cristoval  Colon  was  going  "  to  certain  parts  of  the  ocean  on 
a  mission  concerning  the  interests  of  the  Crown."  What 
these  "  certain  parts  "  were  was  scarcely  more  plainly  set 
forth  in  the  several  letters  of  credence  which,  at  his  request, 
were  given  him  by  their  Majesties,  addressed  to  the  Great 
and  Mighty  Khan  of  Asia,  and  other  lesser  potentates,  of 
whom  so  little  was  known  that  their  names  and  realms  were 
left  in  blank ! 

By  the  first  week  in  May  all  his  work,  so  far  as  it  lay  at 
the  Court,  was  finished,  and  Colon  was  ready  to  proceed 
to  the  coast  and  begin  the  work  of  collecting  his  ships 
and  their  crews,  and  fitting  them  out  for  his  long  voyage. 
But  before  leaving,  the  queen  added  an  unmistakable  evi 
dence  of  her  personal  sympathy  and  confidence  by  appoint 
ing  young  Diego  Colon  a  page  to  her  son,  Prince  Juan ; 
thereby  relieving  his  father  of  all  anxiety  on  the  boy's 
account,  and  testifying  her  esteem  for  him  by  bestowing  on 
his  son  an  honor  eagerly  sought  by  the  nobles  of  the  king 
dom  for  their  own  children. 

Deeply  sensible  of  the  cordial  support  and  distinguished 
honor  done  him  by  their  Majesties,  Colon  took  his  leave 
of  them  and  of  his  faithful  friends  at  Court ;  and,  followed 
by  many  an  earnest  wish  and  devout  prayer  for  his  complete 
success,  left  Granada  on  the  i2th  of  May,  and  made  his 
way  with  all  speed  toward  the  sea-coast  and  the  little 
convent  of  La  Rabida. 


VI. 

"I,   THE   KING!"   AND   "I,   THE   QUEEN!" 

AGAIN  the  three  friends  are  gathered  together  in  the 
good  superior's  room  in  the  little  convent  on  the 
hill ;  but  in  what  different  circumstances  !  —  the  friar  and 
the  physician,  proud  in  the  consciousness  of  having  brought 
about  a  notable  work  through  their  acuteness  and  earnest 
faith  ;  the  wearied  stranger,  now  a  noble  of  Spain,  and  High 
Admiral  if  his  voyage  but  confirms  his  confident  hopes, 
holding  their  Majesties'  commission  with  full  powers  to  pro 
cure  all  he  needs  for  making  the  attempt ;  the  young  lad  in 
the  garden  below,  a  page  to  the  prince,  with  an  income  which 
many  a  grown  man  of  those  times  would  envy. 

On  the  massive  table  before  them,  instead  of  the  single 
dingy  map  over  which  they  had  pored  six  months  before, 
now  lay  a  number  of  fresh  and  imposing  parchments,  abound 
ing  in  capitals  and  flourishes,  and  having  great  seals  attached. 
The  superior  laid  down  the  one  he  had  been  reading  and 
turned  to  Colon,  — 

"  It  will  doubtless  be  your  wish,  Senor  Cristoval,  that 
these  be  published  without  loss  of  time.  Have  you  thought 
how  we  may  best  serve  you  in  the  matter?" 

"I  have  thought,  Father,"  Colon  replied,  "that  the 
surest  way  will  be  for  his  Reverence,  the  curate  of  the  par 
ish,  to  give  notice,  as  is  customary,  that  letters  have  arrived 
from  their  Majesties,  and  summon  his  flock  on  an  appointed 
day  to  hear  them  read.  In  this  both  you  and  our  friend 
the  Senor  Garcia  can  much  assist  me ;  for  the  sooner  it  is 
done,  the  sooner  can  we  set  to  work." 


68    WITH  THE  ADMfRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

"  If  you  will  go  with  me,  Senor  Captain,"  the  younger 
man  said,  giving  Colon  his  new  title  half  playfully,  "  I  will 
gladly  call  on  my  cousin  Francisco  Fernandes,  their  Majes 
ties'  notary  in  our  parish,  and  ask  him  to  arrange  the  mat 
ter  with  Fray  Martin,  our  priest.  We  are  now  at  Monday, 
and  if  he  give  notice  to-morrow,  their  Majesties'  commands 
can  be  read  to  the  people  on  Wednesday,  if  so  it  please 
you." 

"  Nay,  the  quicker  the  better,  my  friend,"  said  Colon. 
"  I  fear  the  hardest  part  of  our  task  is  but  beginning." 

The  superior  nodded  his  head  emphatically. 

"  Money  you  have,  and  decrees  you  have  and  to  spare, 
good  Senor  Cristoval ;  but  unless  a  miracle  befall  these 
oaken-headed  mariners  of  ours,  't  will  be  no  easy  thing  to  get 
your  ships  equipped  and  their  crews  upon  them.  Yet  must 
this  come  to  pass,  if  not  one  day,  then  another ;  for  the 
orders  of  their  Majesties  must  be  obeyed.  This,  too,  our 
mutinous  neighbors  know  full  well,  but  they  must  needs 
grumble  and  rebel  until  the  latest  moment." 

"  Since  God  has  filled  their  Highnesses'  hearts  with  the 
spirit  of  this  enterprise,  I  fear  no  other  resistance  that  can 
be  brought  against  it  by  men,"  said  Colon.  "  Beyond  dis 
pute  it  will  be  far  better  if  we  do  not  have  to  use  harshness 
in  obtaining  our  fleet ;  for  an  unwilling  crew  is  hard  to 
handle  once  they  lose  the  sight  of  land." 

In  the  afternoon  Colon  and  the  physician  visited  the  no 
tary  of  the  village,  and  showing  him  the  royal  decree  ad 
dressed  to  the  inhabitants  of  Palos,  requested  him  to  ask  the 
parish  priest  to  summon  his  people  to  hear  it  read  on  the 
second  morning  following.  The  notary,  standing  hat  in 
hand  in  presence  of  his  sovereigns'  signatures,  promised 
readily  to  have  this  done ;  and  also,  in  answer  to  the  physi 
cian's  injunctions,  to  say  nothing  of  the  tenor  of  the  docu 
ment  except  to  Fray  Martin. 

The  next  day,  when  Garcia  Fernandez  paid  his  usual  visit 
to  the  convent,  he  was  able  to  say  to  Colon  and  the  supe 
rior  that  the  curate  of  the  village  church  had  duly  given  no 
tice  of  the  arrival  of  certain  letters  from  their  Majesties, 


"/,   THE  KING!"  AND  "/,    THE  QUEEN!"        69 

and  called  upon  all  of  his  parishioners,  as  they  were  good  sub 
jects,  to  come  to  the  church  on  the  following  day  and  hear 
the  documents  read  aloud.  The  same  notice,  the  physician 
added,  would  be  given  at  the  evening  service. 

This  second  warning  was,  indeed,  superfluous ;  for  by 
noon  of  Tuesday  every  soul  in  the  district,  from  the  fisher 
men  on  the  bay  beyond  Saltes,  to  the  laborers  in  the  vine 
yards  away  up  around  Moguer,  had  heard  that  a  message  had 
come  from  Court  and  was  to  be  read  at  church  next  day. 
What  it  was  no  one  knew  for  certain ;  but  few  doubted  that 
it  had  something  to  do  with  that  old  sentence  of  Council 
which  had  been  hanging  for  so  long  above  their  heads. 
And  as  they  spoke  of  this,  every  man  who  owned  a  plank  in 
a  ship  vowed  beneath  his  breath  that  it  should  be  his  neigh 
bor's  vessel  and  not  his  own  that  should  be  chosen  for  what 
ever  service  was  stipulated. 

On  that  Wednesday  morning,  the  23d  of  April  in  the  year 
of  Grace  1492,  the  little  church  of  St.  George  of  Palos 
was  crowded  to  a  degree  which  would  have  delighted  its 
worthy  priest  had  he  not  known  that  curiosity  and  not  piety 
had  been  the  attracting  influence.  There  were  assembled 
all  the  dignitaries  of  the  village,  its  alcaldes  and  regidors, 
and  the  clerk  of  the  Council  for  that  district,  and  the  al 
caides,  and  the  notary  Francisco,  each  in  his  most  impos 
ing  costume ;  and  there  were  the  Pinzons,  the  wealthiest 
inhabitants  of  the  neighborhood,  with  their  families;  and 
there  was  a  great  crowd  of  fishermen  and  sailors,  and  hard- 
featured  vineyard  hands,  —  both  men  and  women,  —  and  a 
slight  sprinkling  of  small  landed  proprietors  or  well-to-do 
ship-owners  from  the  surrounding  district,  among  whom 
stood  out  the  bullet-pate  of  Juan  Rodriguez  of  the  hard 
head.  Wherever  their  elders  had  left  room,  the  bare-legged, 
brown- skinned  urchins  of  the  place  packed  themselves  in, 
waiting  in  open-mouthed  wonder  to  see  what  should  happen 
next. 

Colon  entered  the  church  accompanied  by  Fray  Antonio 
and  his  son  Diego,  and  was  soon  joined  by  Garcia  Fernandez 
and  his  cousin  the  notary.  The  morning  service  was  de- 


70         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

voutly  recited  by  all  present,  Colon  especially  taking  part 
with  noticeable  earnestness.  When  the  religious  offices  were 
over,  the  curate  announced  that  the  senor  notary  would  now 
read  their  Highnesses'  commands  to  their  loyal  subjects  of 
Palos ;  and  a  dead  silence  fell  upon  the  crowded  audience. 
Taking  a  scroll  of  parchment  from  his  velvet  doublet,  —  for 
he  had  dressed  himself  in  holiday  attire,  being  ever  partic 
ular  as  to  forms  and  ceremonies,  —  Colon  opened  it  and 
bowed  his  head  in  salute  of  the  royal  signatures  as  he 
handed  it  to  Francisco  Fernandes. 

Calling  to  his  side  the  village  authorities,  and  displaying 
the  names  of  the  king  and  queen  and  their  seals  pressed  in 
colored  wax,  the  notary  read  in  a  high-pitched  voice  the 
following :  — 

"DON  Ferdinand  and  Dofia  Isabella,  by  the  Grace  of  God 
King  and  Queen  of  Castile,  of  Leon,  of  Aragon,  of  Sicily,  of 
Granada,  of  Toledo,  of  Valencia,  of  Galicia,  of  the  Balearic 
Isles,  of  Seville,  of  Sardinia,  of  Cordova,  of  Corsica,  of  Murcia, 
of  Jaen,  of  the  Algarves,  of  Algecira,  of  Gibraltar,  and  of  the 
Canary  Islands;  Counts  of  Barcelona;  Dukes  of  Athens  and  of 
Neopatria;  Counts  of  Ronsillon  and  of  Cerdania ;  Marquises  of 
Oristan  and  of  Gociano  ; 

"  To  you,  Diego  Rodriguez  Prieto,  and  to  all  other  persons, 
your  friends  and  neighbors  of  the  town  of  Palos,  and  to  each  one 
of  you,  health  and  happiness  ! 

"  Well  do  you  know  that  for  certain  acts  done  and  committed 
by  you  all  in  disobedience  of  Our  commands,  you  were  con 
demned  by  Our  Council  to  serve  Us  for  twelve  months  with  two 
vessels,  armed  at  your  own  cost  and  expense,  whenever  and 
wherever  you  should  be  by  Us  commanded,  upon  certain  penal 
ties,  as  is  set  forth  more  at  length  in  the  before-mentioned  sen 
tence  which  was  rendered  against  you." 

As  the  notary  reached  this  point  and  stopped  to  take 
breath,  Diego  Prieto  shifted  uneasily  from  one  leg  to  the 
other,  looking  extremely  uncomfortable  the  while. 

"  And  now,"  the  notary  continued  to  read,  "  inasmuch  as  We 
have  commanded  Cristoval  Colon  that  he  should  go  with  a  fleet 
of  three  ships  to  certain  parts  of  the  Ocean  Sea  upon  sundry 
affairs  which  relate  to  Our  service,  and  We  desire  that  he  take 


"/,  THE  KING'"   AND  "I,   THE   QUEEN!"        Jl 

with  him  the  two  vessels  with  which  you  are  bound,  in  the  said 
manner,  to  serve  Us,  We  therefore  order  you  that  within  the  ten 
days  first  following  the  day  on  which  you  are  summoned  by  this 
Letter,  without  making  any  petition  to  Us,  or  consulting  with 
Us,  or  waiting  for  anything,  or  needing  any  further  Letter  from 
Us  about  the  matter,  you  have  equipped  and  put  in  order  the  said 
two  armed  vessels,  as  you  are  bound  to  do  in  virtue  of  the  said 
sentence,  ready  to  sail  with  the  said  Cristoval  Colon  wherever 
We  may  order  him  to  go." 

When  the  notary  read  this  paragraph,  loud  murmurs 
arose  from  all  over  the  church.  Those  who  knew  Colon  by 
sight  were  pointing  him  out  to  those  who  did  not,  and  both 
from  men  and  women  were  to  be  heard  exclamations  of 
protest  and  dissatisfaction. 

"  In  their  Majesties'  name,  silence  !  "  shouted  the  notary. 
"  We  are  here  to  listen  to  their  Highnesses'  commands,  like 
good  and  loyal  subjects ;  not  to  pass  censure  upon  them." 

"  And  upon  the  completion  of  the  said  period,"  he  resumed  read 
ing,  "you  shall  depart  with  him  and  thenceforth  sail  with  him 
wherever  and  whenever  he,  on  Our  part,  shall  say  and  direct.  And 
We  have  ordered  him  to  advance  to  you,  for  those  of  you  who  go 
upon  the  said  cruise,  four  months'  wages  at  the  rates  which  are 
paid  to  the  sailors  from  other  ports  who  are  also  to  go  with  him 
in  your  two  ships  and  in  the  third  ship  which  We  order  him  to 
take ;  which  wages  are  to  be  the  same  as  are  paid  along  your 
coast  to  men  who  go  to  sea  in  armed  vessels.  And,  hav 
ing  thus  set  out,  you  are  to  follow  the  course  which  he,  on 
Our  behalf,  shall  lay  down  for  you,  and  you  are  to  obey  his  com 
mands  and  follow  his  orders  and  directions ;  provided,  however, 
that  neither  you,  nor  the  said  Cristoval  Colon,  nor  any  of  the 
others  who  should  go  on  the  said  vessels,  shall  go  to  the  Mine 
of  Guinea,  nor  to  the  district  thereabouts,  which  belong  to  the 
Very  Noble  King  of  Portugal,  Our  Brother,  since  it  is  Our  de 
sire  to  respect  and  cause  to  be  respected  the  treaty  We  have 
made  on  this  point  with  the  said  King." 

As  these  last  sentences  did  not  interest  the  audience  par 
ticularly,  the  hum  of  conversation  again  broke  out,  although 
somewhat  less  indignantly  than  before.  Clearly  the  men 
tion  of  full  wages  for  all  who  shipped  on  this  cruise,  and  four 
months'  pay  in  advance,  had  brought  about  some  change  of 


72         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

mind,  especially  among  the  sea-faring  men  present.  It  was 
one  thing  to  be  driven  against  their  wills  to  go  on  a  voy 
age  of  which  they  knew  nothing,  and  another  to  be  offered 
full  wages  and  a  handsome  sum  down  !  Altogether  the 
rugged  mariners  of  Palos  began  to  think  rather  less  unfavor 
ably  of  this  stranger  and  his  cruise. 

Again  commanding  attention,  the  notary  continued  to 
read  through  to  the  end  of  the  document :  — 

"And  when  you  shall  bring  a  certificate  signed  by  the  said 
Captain  that  he  is  satisfied  with  your  service  with  the  said  two 
armed  vessels,  We  shall  consider  you  to  be  freed  from  the  said 
penalty  which  by  the  sentence  of  Our  Council  was  imposed  upon 
you,  and  from  now  until  that  time  and  from  that  time  until  now 
We  shall  consider  that  We  have  been  well  and  fully  served  by 
you  in  the  matter  of  the  said  vessels  for  the  whole  time  and  in 
the  manner  demanded  of  you  by  Our  said  Council.  With  no 
tice  to  you,  however,  which  We  now  give,  that  if  you  should  not 
do  »s  herein  commanded,  or  in  the  execution  hereof  should  make 
any  excuse  or  delay,  We  shall  order  to  be  executed  upon  you 
and  upon  every  one  of  you,  and  upon  your  property,  all  the  pains 
and  penalties  which  were  laid  upon  you  in  the  said  sentence. 
And  let  none  of  you  do  otherwise  than  as  herein  commanded, 
upon  pain  of  Our  displeasure  and  a  fine  of  ten  thousand  mara- 
vedies  from  each  of  you  to  be  paid  to  Our  Treasury;  under 
which  penalty  We  also  command  whatever  Public  Notary  shall 
be  called  for  the  purpose,  that  he  give  a  written  certificate  wher 
ever  he  may  publish  this  Letter,  so  that  We  may  know  how  Our 
mandates  have  been  obeyed." 

The  notary,  on  reading  this  clause,  drew  himself  up  with 
much  importance,  and  looked  severely  about  him  before 
concluding. 

"  Given  in  Our  city  of  Granada  on  the  thirtieth  day  of  April, 
in  the  Year  of  Our  Lord  one  thousand  four  hundred  and 
ninety-two." 

Here  the  reader  paused  to  draw  a  long  breath. 

"  I,  the  King  !  "  he  shouted. 

Then  after  another  slight  pause,  — 

"  I,  the  Queen  !  "  in  equally  loud  tones. 

In  the  hush  which  followed  the  enunciation  of  these  two 


"/,    THE  KING!"   AND  "7,    THE   QUEEN!"         73 

august  names,  the  notary  rattled  off  the  "  tail-piece  "  of  the 
weighty  document :  — 

"  Signed  by  their  Majesties  and  sealed  in  colored  wax  on  pa 
per.  I,  Juan  de  Coloma,  Secretary  of  the  King  and  Queen,  our 
sovereigns,  have  caused  this  to  be  written  out  at  their  High- 
nesses'  orders.  Compared,  registered,  and  entered  at  the  Royal 
Chancellery,  and  signed  by  the  respective  officials.  No  fees  to 
be  paid.  May  God  save  their  Majesties  !  " 

What  all  this  last  part  meant,  his  hearers  could  not  tell, 
for  he  jumbled  it  all  together  in  one  sentence ;  but  when 
they  heard  the  familiar  invocation  for  their  Majesties,  even 
the  dullest  knew  that  the  ceremony  was  over,  and  the 
crowd  began  to  leave  the  church,  anxious  to  get  outside 
and  talk  the  whole  matter  over. 

Colon  turned  to  Diego  Prieto,  as  the  chief  magistrate  of 
the  village,  and  said  with  every  evidence  of  respect,  — 

"  Will  your  Worship  have  the  goodness  to  see  that  their 
Highnesses'  commands  are  executed,  Senor  Alcalde?  I 
would  beg  that  all  possible  speed  be  used,  and  for  my  own 
part  will  gladly  be  of  every  help  I  may." 

"  Surely,  worthy  captain,  surely,"  the  alcalde  answered 
deferentially.  "Their  Majesties'  commands  shall  be  hon 
ored,  and  that  with  diligence.  But  I  know  not,  at  the  very 
moment,  which  ships  will  best  suit  your  purpose,  Senor." 

"  We  will  confer  as  to  that  more  at  your  leisure,  good  sir, 
if  so  it  please  you,"  Colon  replied.  "  Meanwhile  I  must 
ask  our  honored  friend  the  notary  to  draw  up  a  certificate 
for  me,  setting  forth  that  their  Majesties'  letter  was  duly 
read,  and  get  your  Worships  all  to  sign  it." 

"That  shall  be  done,  Senor  Captain,"  said  Francisco, 
stiffly.  Then  turning  to  the  village  officials  about  him,  he 
explained  :  "  'T  is  in  the  body  of  the  document  that  so  it  is 
to  be  done,  Senores,  and  I  must  look  carefully  to  it." 

As  Colon,  accompanied  by  his  friends  and  Diego  Prieto, 
came  out  of  the  church,  he  found  the  greater  part  of  the 
audience  separated  into  groups  about  the  entrance,  eagerly 
discussing  the  morning's  incident.  It  was  apparent  that  the 


74    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

larger  number  still  regarded  the  proposed  voyage  with  dis 
favor  ;  but  whether  this  was  because  no  destination  was 
named,  or  because  Colon  was  a  stranger  and  the  cruise  was 
considered  as  a  punishment,  it  was  not  easy  to  say.  Both 
the  superior  and  Garcia  Fernandez  looked  grave  as  they 
noted  the  vigorous  gestures  and  heard  the  loud  voices  of 
the  groups  around  them. 

As  they  came  out  of  the  building,  old  Juan  Rodriguez  left 
the  knot  of  men  where  he  was  standing,  and  came  up  to 
Colon  with  an  awkward  salutation. 

"  How  then,  Master  ?  "  he  asked  in  his  heavy- weather  tones ; 
"  is  the  cruise  in  truth  to  be  so  long  a  one  ?  Some  of  our  old 
women  here  are  saying  your  Worship  will  never  come  back." 

"Ifthouwilt  go  with  me,  Juan  Rodriguez,"  Colon  said 
promptly,  "  thou  shall  not  only  come  back,  please  God,  but 
bring  thy  cap  full  of  golden  ducats  as  well." 

"Nay,  Master,  that  I  cannot  do,  the  worse  forme  !  "  he 
grumbled.  "  The  vineyard  would  go  to  waste,  and  my  old 
woman  will  never  let  me  haul  a  rope  again  ;  the  saints  forgive 
me  for  tying  to  her  !  But  if  I  cannot  go  myself  I  will  send 
some  one  to  take  my  place,"  the  old  fellow  said  with  vigor. 

"  Well,  Comrade,"  said  Colon,  laughing,  "  if  thou  canst  not 
join  me,  thou  canst  in  any  case  bring  me  some  good,  stout 
lads  to  make  the  voyage.  Thou  knowest  the  kind  I  like, 
old  friend." 

"  That  can  I  do,  and  with  a  good  will,  Master,"  Juan 
replied,  turning  to  rejoin  his  neighbors. 

One  of  the  latter  was  declaring,  with  much  emphasis,  that 
none  but  madmen  would  sail  on  a  voyage  which  was  going 
to  lead  no  one  knew  whither.  As  for  him,  he  pronounced, 
all  the  alcaldes  in  Andalusia  could  not  force  him  to  go  on 
this  one. 

"  I  mind  not  sailing  in  Christian  seas,"  the  speaker  added, 
as  if  to  save  his  courage  ;  "  but  for  these  voyages  to  the  coasts 
of  Africa  and  into  oceans  we  know  not  of,  I  want  none  of 
them." 

"  Old,  Neighbor,"  said  the  doughty  Juan,  as  he  came  up, 
"  't  were  better  to  hold  thy  peace  than  thus  to  tattle  like  an 


"/,   THE  KING!"  AND  "7,    THE   QUEEN!"          75 

old  nurse.  As  for  voyages,  yonder  captain  knows  more  of 
the  sea.  when  asleep  at  night  than  thou  dost  at  midday  with 
thine  eyes  wide  open ;  and  as  for  strange  oceans,  why,  one 
drop  of  salt  water  is  just  like  another.  'T  is  only  when  thou 
gettest  too  much  within  thee  that  it  does  thee  any  harm.  If 
it  is  this  that  scares  thee,  't  were  wise  to  stay  at  home  and 
card  wool.  If  thou  but  keepest  close  enough  to  thy  house, 
thou  canst  never  drown." 

Having  thus  turned  the  laugh  on  the  fault-finder,  the  old 
sailor  began  to  extol  Colon,  and  speak  about  the  voyage  with 
an  appearance  of  knowledge  he  was  very  far  from  possessing. 

It  required  no  prophet  to  foretell  that  trouble  was  brewing 
for  the  new  Captain-general ;  and  as  Colon  and  his  party 
made  their  way  back  to  LaRabida,  they  debated  earnestly 
the  means  to  be  adopted  to  convert  their  parchment  decrees 
into  serviceable  ships  and  crews.1 

1  The  circumstances  attending  the  reading  of  the  fateful  decree  are 
derived  from  the  notarial  certificate  prepared  at  the  time,  and  copied 
in  Navarrete,  tomo  ii.  pag.  13. 


VII. 

THE   HEAVY  HAND   OF   JUAN    DE    PENALOSA. 

WITHIN  twenty-four  hours  it  became  clear  that  a 
stubborn  resistance  would  be  made  to  the  royal 
commands,  and  that,  so  far  from  helping  forward  Colon's 
voyage  in  any  way,  the  good  people  of  Palos  and  Moguer 
intended  to  embarrass  him  by  every  means  in  their  power. 
When  he  came  to  consult  with  Diego  Prieto  and  the  other 
authorities,  Colon  found  himself  opposed  by  that  dead 
weight  of  passive  resistance  which  the  Spaniards  and  Portu 
guese  of  the  less  intelligent  classes  can  still  exert  with  such 
exasperating  stolidity.  He  did  not  see  fit  to  explain  to  all 
he  met  that  his  intention  was  to  sail  to  the  remotest  bounds 
of  the  western  ocean,  for  that  would  merely  have  made  mat 
ters  a  hundredfold  worse ;  but  he  gave  out,  in  answer  to  all 
inquiries,  that  he  was  bound  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  and 
that  those  who  went  with  him  would  find  riches  and  wealth 
infinitely  greater  and  in  much  less  time  than  had  been  the 
case  on  any  of  the  voyages  made  to  Guinea  or  the  African 
islands.  But  very  few  were  convinced  by  his  representa 
tions.  The  owners  of  ships,  without  exception,  claimed  that 
their  vessels  were  old,  or  rotten,  or  so  out  of  repair  that  they 
could  not  go  on  a  long  voyage ;  or  gave  some  equally  ready 
excuse  for  keeping  them  at  home.  The  pilots,  captains, 
and  sailors  with  whom  Colon  or  his  friends  spoke,  gave  a 
variety  of  reasons  for  their  not  going  on  the  voyage,  which 
showed  that  there  was  a  general  understanding  throughout 
the  neighborhood  that  if  this  foreign  ship-captain  wanted 


THE  HEA  VY  HAND   OF  JUAN  DE  PENALOSA.     77 

to  make  discoveries  in  unknown  seas  he  would  have  to  go 
elsewhere  for  the  means  to  do  it.  A  handful  of  the  more 
adventurous  spirits,  either  stimulated  by  the  love  of  excite 
ment,  or  influenced  by  what  they  knew  of  Colon's  abilities 
as  a  commander,  agreed  to  go  "if  their  shipmates  would," 
and  most  of  the  turbulent  characters  of  the  vicinity  were 
anxious  to  sail  with  him  in  order  to  take  advantage  of  the 
royal  exemption  from  trial  and  punishment  during  their 
absence.  But  by  far  the  greater  number  took  the  ground 
expressed  bluntly  by  a  pilot  of  a  good  deal  of  influence 
thereabouts,  one  Juan  de  Mafra,  whom  his  namesake  of  the 
hard  head  had  urged  to  go,  knowing  the  weight  his  example 
would  have  upon  his  neighbors. 

"  Save  thou  thy  breath  against  the  time  thy  wife  scolds 
thee,  Comrade,"  replied  the  pilot  to  Juan  Cabezudo,  "  and 
talk  not  to  me  of  gold  and  pearls  and  spices.  Often  enough 
have  I  been  promised  these  if  I  would  but  join  some  cruise 
to  pirate  against  the  Moors,  or  go  on  a  voyage  to  pass  some 
new  cape  in  Africa;  and  all  that  I  have  to  show  for  my 
pains  is  this  cut  across  my  skull,  and  a  shaking  ague  when 
ever  a  damp  wind  blows.  Thou  canst  have  my  share,  and 
welcome,  of  all  these  treasures.  As  for  me,  though  I  do 
not  doubt  the  Senor  Colon  is  a  bold  captain  and  a  wise 
navigator,  here  I  stay  in  this  kingdom  of  Castile  ;  for  I  take 
his  tales  of  new  lands  to  be  but  an  idle  dream  and  a  vain 
hope." 1 

While  Diego  Prieto  and  his  fellow  officials  professed  to  be 
most  anxious  to  give  speedy  execution  to  the  royal  decrees, 
it  soon  became  evident  to  Colon  and  his  friends  that  the 
authorities  were  doing  all  they  could  to  aid  the  citizens  in 
evading  their  obligation.  Not  only  did  they  accept  every 
flimsy  pretext  that  was  offered  by  the  ship-owners  or  the 
sailors  to  escape  making  the  voyage,  but  they  allowed  some 
of  the  most  suitable  vessels  to  leave  the  port  so  as  to  get 

1  Yet  this  same  Juan  de  Mafra  accompanied  Columbus  on  his 
later  voyages,  and  became  one  of  the  most  famous  pilots  of  the  western 
ocean.  His  last  great  adventure  was  with  Magellan,  as  pilot  of  the 
"  Santiago  " 


78         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

out  of  Colon's  reach ;  while,  in  their  talks  about  the  neigh 
borhood,  they  dwelt  lugubriously  on  the  dangers  of  sailing  in 
unknown  waters,  and  on  the  hardship  of  being  condemned 
to  so  dreadful  a  fate. 

Meantime  Colon  was  working  and  watching,  learning  all 
about  the  ships  of  Palos  and  the  adjoining  coast,  and  be 
coming  acquainted  with  the  names  and  acquirements  of  the 
pilots  and  captains  and  best-known  sailors  along  the  shore. 
With  his  friends  he  visited  the  adjacent  towns  and  talked 
with  the  authorities  and  chief  inhabitants ;  trying  to  enlist 
them  in  his  undertaking,  and  dwelling  on  the  inducements 
offered  by  the  voyage.  He  plainly  saw  that  the  ten  days 
within  which  the  parish  of  Palos  should  have  furnished  him 
with  the  two  ships  and  crews,  according  to  the  decrees, 
were  going  to  pass  without  this  being  done ;  but  he  took  it 
patiently,  for  he  had  already  selected  the  ships  he  thought 
most  available  for  his  purpose,  and  had  determined  how 
they  and  their  companies  should  be  secured. 

When  he  had  arrived  at  La  Rabida,  on  this  second  visit, 
Fray  Antonio  had  brought  him  into  contact  with  the  Pinzons, 
of  whom  both  the  friar  and  Garcia  Fernandez  had  so  often 
spoken;  and  Colon  had  quickly  established  friendly  rela-x 
tions  with  the  three  brothers,  using  their  mutual  profession 
of  the  sea  and  their  studies  of  its  secrets  as  a  starting-point. 
He  made  no  mystery  of  his  intended  voyage  of  discovery  in 
conversing  with  these  men  after  the  royal  decrees  had  been 
read  in  the  church  ;  but  until  he  had  carefully  surveyed  the 
ground  and  knew  on  what  materials  he  could  depend,  he 
did  not  take  them  into  his  entire  confidence,  or  make  any 
overtures  to  them  to  join  him  in  his  enterprise.  Once  he 
knew  just  how  the  land  lay,  however,  as  to  the  ships  and 
their  crews,  and  had  formed  his  plan  of  action,  he  resolved 
to  lay  the  whole  affair,  so  far  as  it  was  needful,  before  the 
Pinzons,  and  invite  them  to  embark  with  him  in  the 
undertaking. 

Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  and  his  two  brothers,  Vicente 
Yanez  and  Francisco  Martin,  were  by  far  the  most  influential 
residents  in  all  the  district  about  Palos.  The  oldest  had 


THE  HEA  VY  HAND  OF  JUAN  DE  PENALOSA.  79 

barely  passed  forty  years  of  age,  and  the  youngest  was  well 
under  thirty,  but  as  a  family  they  had  a  standing  and  weight 
in  the  community  which  caused  them  to  be  consulted  and 
listened  to  by  their  neighbors  for  leagues  around,  whether 
fishermen,  or  sailors,  or  farmers.  For  not  only  did  the 
Pinzons  own  houses  in  Palos  and  Moguer,  and  vineyards 
and  gardens  as  well,  but  they  were  also  famous  ship-owners 
and  sea-captains,  as  the  superior  had  told  Colon  on  his  first 
visit,  and  had  made  long  and  successful  voyages  both  in  the 
Mediterranean  and  along  the  western  coasts  of  Africa  and 
Europe.  They  were  known  far  and  wide  to  be  bold  and 
fortunate  navigators,  and  were  popular  with  the  sailors  they 
commanded ;  especially  Martin  Alonzo,  the  oldest  of  the 
brothers,  who  had  great  authority  with  the  seafaring  men  of 
the  locality. 

In  addition  to  these  elements  of  importance,  the  Pinzons 
were  bound  by  ties  of  relationship,  more  or  less  close,  to 
half  the  inhabitants  of  the  district ;  and  in  a  Spanish  neigh 
borhood  these  bonds  are  even  yet  carefully  remembered 
and  willingly  acknowledged.  Not  only  does  the  rural 
Spaniard's  own  family  down  to  the  remotest  ramifications 
have  in  some  measure  a  claim  upon  his  consideration  ;  but 
the  family  of  his  wife  has  one  as  well,  and  the  families  of 
his  brothers  and  sisters,  and  of  his  wife's  brothers  and  sis 
ters,  and  of  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  wives  or  husbands 
of  his  own  brothers  and  sisters,  and  of  the  wives  or  hus 
bands  of  his  wife's  brothers  and  sisters,  and  so  on  and  on 
until  the  brain  refuses  to  grasp  the  wire- drawn  connection. 
When  to  this  appalling  array  of  "  parents  "  is  added  the 
countless  host  of  "  co-parents,"  caused  by  the  adoption  of 
godfather  and  godmother  into  a  family,  and  the  consequent 
recognition  of  all  their  families  also,  it  will  be  easily  under 
stood  that  in  a  quiet  country  where  changes  were  rare,  a 
family  would  be  connected  in  one  way  or  another  with  every 
body  about  it,  and,  if  wealthy  or  in  any  wise  better  off  than 
its  neighbors,  would  exercise  an  important  influence  upon 
the  body  of  the  clan.  In  such  relations  did  the  Pinzon 
brothers  stand  to  the  whole  countryside  around  Palos  and 


80         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

Moguer ;  and  Colon  was  quick  to  recognize  the  wisdom  of 
his  two  friends  in  urging  him  to  make  an  alliance  with  Mar 
tin  Alonzo  if  possible.  For  his  part,  Fray  Antonio  used  all 
his  eloquence  and  skill  in  interesting  the  oldest  brother  in 
Colon  and  his  plans,  —  a  task  in  which  he  was  much  assisted 
by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  young  physician,  who,  as  he  had 
already  said,  was  himself  related  to  the  family. 

On  Saturday,  the  2d  of  June,  the  ten  days  granted  by 
the  royal  decrees  to  the  residents  of  Palos  for  the  prepara 
tion  of  the  two  ships  expired.  Not  only  were  the  ships 
not  ready,  but  both  owners  and  crews  had  flatly  refused  to 
lend  their  aid  to  any  such  "fool's  quest"  as  that  proposed 
by  Colon.  Just  where  he  meant  to  go,  or  what  he  meant 
to  do,  they  did  not  know ;  but  he  was  going  off  somewhere 
in  the  western  ocean  on  a  secret  expedition,  and  they  simply 
would  not  go  with  him.  Any  reference  to  the  powers  given 
him  by  their  Majesties,  to  call  in  the  aid  of  the  law  to 
compel  the  owners  of  ships  to  charter  them  to  him  and 
oblige  the  crews  of  the  same  to  sail,  was  met  with  what 
amounted  to  a  direct  mutiny  against  the  orders  of  the 
sovereigns.  Colon  determined,  therefore,  to  despatch  a 
messenger  to  the  Court  with  a  letter  laying  before  their 
Majesties  the  exact  condition  of  affairs  in  Palos  and  its 
vicinity,  and  asking  for  such  further  powers  as  might  enable 
him  to  secure  obedience  to  the  original  commands  of  the 
crown.  In  the  mean  while  he  decided  to  show  his  whole 
hand  to  Martin  Alonzo,  and  try  to  make  an  arrange 
ment  with  him  which,  when  backed  up  by  the  royal  aid, 
would  enable  the  squadron  to  be  fitted  out  without  further 
opposition.  If  once  the  Pinzons  endorsed  the  enterprise, 
Colon  reasoned,  there  would  be  far  less  talk  about  resist 
ing  the  decrees,  and  all  necessity  for  using  force  might  be 
avoided. 

Martin  Alonzo  already  knew,  both  from  the  orders  which 
had  been  made  public  and  from  what  Colon  had  told  him, 
that  the  latter  had  their  Majesties'  authority  for  what  he  did, 
and  that  he  was  going  to  look  for  land  in  the  west.  But 
now  Colon  laid  before  him  his  commission  as  Admiral  and 


THE  HEAVY  HAND  OF  JUAN  DE  PENALOSA.     8 1 

the  conditions  of  his  agreement  with  the  Crown,  and  frankly 
invited  Pinzon  and  his  brothers  to  join  him  in  the  enter 
prise.  He  explained  his  grounds  for  expecting  to  find  Asia 
in  the  west,  and  offered  to  give  the  brothers  a  share  in  the 
profits  of  the  undertaking,  besides  liberal  salaries  for  them 
selves  and  the  pilots,  or  other  skilful  mariners,  they  might 
induce  to  accompany  them.  He  was  too  prudent  a  man  to 
let  Martin  Alonzo  fancy  that  his  help  was  indispensable.  If 
he  would  aid  him,  Colon  said,  so  much  the  better  for  both, 
for  it  would  bring  wealth  and  honors  to  Pinzon  and  enable 
Colon  to  escape  the  use  of  force  in  fitting  out  his  expedi 
tion.  But  if  Pinzon  did  not  see  his  way  clear  to  joining 
him,  Colon  would  still  carry  out  his  undertaking,  using  their 
Majesties'  authority  for  the  purpose,  and  employing  force 
where  solicitations  and  offers  of  reward  would  not  avail. 

To  Martin  Alonzo,  particularly,  the  proposal  was  alluring. 
Like  other  intelligent  and  thoughtful  seamen  of  the  period, 
he  had  heard  vague  rumors  of  land  beyond  the  ocean,  and 
as  he  sailed  along  the  Atlantic  coasts  of  Africa  and  Europe 
had  pondered  and  speculated  upon  what  would  be  found 
out  yonder,  a  thousand,  or  two  thousand,  or  three  thousand 
leagues  to  sea.  Moreover,  as  the  father  superior  had  told 
Colon,  the  oldest  Pinzon  was  somewhat  of  a  reading-man ; 
and  although  the  famous  book  of  which  Fray  Antonio 
had  spoken  proved  to  be  no  such  marvel,  when  examined, 
as  he  had  thought,  Colon  found  Martin  Alonzo  to  be  a 
man  of  judgment  and  observation,  and  very  ready  to  agree 
with  himself  as  to  the  probability  of  their  finding  Asia 
by  sailing  with  the  sun.  When  he  learned  that  Colon  had 
received  the  grant  of  a  million  maravedies  for  the  expenses 
of  the  voyage,  and  was  appointed  to  the  highest  marine 
office  in  the  gift  of  the  Spanish  Crown,  the  existence  of  that 
western  land  became  still  more  probable  to  Pinzon,  and  his 
inclination  to  have  a  share  in  its  profits  grew  daily  stronger. 
To  him  the  gold  and  pearls  and  spices,  the  silks  and  gems 
and  slaves,  of  these  distant  regions  were  no  fictions.  Had 
he  not  seen  all  these  and  other  treasures  in  his  voyages  to 
the  eastern  ports  of  the  Mediterranean  ?  And  did  not  these 

6 


82         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA, 

riches  always  and  everywhere  come  somewhere  from  the 
East,  ever  from  the  East?  True,  this  stranger  navigator 
proposed  to  sail  westward;  but  was  he  not  still  seeking 
only  a  shorter  route  to  the  Indies  than  by  the  Red  Sea 
and  the  Gulf  of  Ganges?  And  would  not  this  discovery  fill 
their  ships  with  wealth  unheard  of,  and  make  them  all 
hidalgos?  Thus  Martin  Alonzo  argued,  first  to  himself  and 
afterward  to  his  brothers ;  until  one  hot  summer's  day  he 
came  to  Colon  and  told  him  that  if  they  could  agree  on 
terms  he  and  his  brothers  would  use  their  influence  and 
resources  to  supply  him  with  ships  and  crews,  and  would 
themselves  go  with  him  on  the  voyage. 

He  reached  this  conclusion  none  too  soon  for  his  own 
peace  of  mind  ;  for  on  one  of  the  last  days  of  June  a  stranger, 
who  was  evidently  "  a  somebody  "  from  the  state  in  which 
he  travelled,  rode  through  Moguer  and  on  to  Palos,  where 
he  inquired  for  "  the  worshipful  Senor  Colon,  the  Captain  of 
their  Majesties'  fleet  there  fitting  out."  Some  of  his  hearers 
were  inclined  to  make  merry  over  the  idea  of  Colon  having 
a  "  fleet ; "  but  others  felt  rather  uncomfortable  on  no 
ticing  the  new-comer's  air  of  authority,  and  directed  him, 
with  many  protestations  of  service,  to  the  convent  of  La 
Rabida.  Here  he  was  received  by  Colon  and  the  supe 
rior  with  evident  delight,  for  he  was  no  other  than  Juan 
de  Penalosa,  gentleman-in-waiting  of  their  Majesties'  own 
household  ;  and  he  came  provided  with  imperative  orders  to 
aid  Colon  in  every  manner  possible  to  start  on  his  voyage  as 
quickly  as  he  could  get  away.  The  better  to  accomplish 
this  he  was  commissioned  to  call  upon  all  the  authorities  of 
the  Crown,  not  only  civil  but  military,  if  it  should  prove 
necessary,  in  order  to  enforce  the  royal  decrees  without  fur 
ther  discussion  or  delay. 

Accompanied  by  Colon,  with  the  superior,  Garcia  Fer 
nandez,  and  Martin  Alonzo  to  give  more  dignity  to  the  inci 
dent,  early  the  next  day  the  royal  messenger  went  to  the 
village  and  made  known  his  orders  to  Diego  Prieto  and  his 
fellow-officials.  Great  was  the  discomfiture  of  these  worthies 
on  learning  that  not  only  was  their  indifference  to  the  royal 


THE  HE  A  VY  HAND   OF  JUAN  DE  PENALOSA.     83 

commands  known  to  the  sovereigns,  but  that  the  latter  had 
sent  down  an  officer  of  their  personal  suite  to  see  that  the 
good  people  of  Palos  now  did  under  direct  compulsion  what 
they  should  have  more  wisely  done  from  loyalty. 

"  May  it  please  your  Excellency,"  the  poor  alcalde  said, 
in  a  huge  flutter  at  the  thought  that  there  was  really  no 
earthly  excuse  for  him  and  his  associates  to  offer,  "  we  have 
labored  diligently  as  loyal  subjects  and  officers  of  their 
Majesties  to  execute  their  Majesties'  sacred  commands. 
But  all  our  best  ships  are  away  on  cruises,  and  those  that 
remain  we  have  carefully  examined,  and  feel  not  justified  in 
sending  them  on  so  long  a  voyage  as  that  the  worshipful 
Senor  Colon  proposes  to  make ;  for  his  Worship  says  he  may 
be  gone  a  year.  As  for  our  men,  your  Excellency,  the  wars 
have  taken  away  a  great  part,  and  others  are  at  sea,  so  it  has 
not  been  as  easy  as  it  might  seem  to  gather  together  so  many 
seamen  as  the  Senor  Colon  needs ;  and  I  hope  we  know  too 
well  our  duties  as  faithful  officers  of  the  Crown  to  send  any 
but  our  best  and  most  practised  seamen  upon  their  Majesties' 
service." 

Here  the  other  officials  solemnly  bobbed  their  heads,  and 
looked  as  wise  as  so  many  owls. 

"  Nevertheless,  your  Excellency,"  concluded  Diego  Prieto, 
feeling  that  he*was  making  rather  a  neat  speech,  after  all, 
"  both  I  and  my  colleagues  will  redouble  our  efforts  to  com 
ply  with  their  Majesties'  commands,  and  will  send  all  along 
the  coast  to  search  out  fitting  ships  for  the  Senor  Colon. 
In  this  will  we  endeavor  to  prove  our  zeal  for  their  Majesties, 
and  humbly  hope  that  your  Excellency  will  likewise  be  satis 
fied  that  whatever  delay  has  occurred  has  been  occasioned 
by  difficulties  and  embarrassments  we  could  not  surmount 
in  the  short  time  at  our  disposal,  and  is  not  due  to  any  want 
of  devotion  or  loyalty  to  our  gracious  sovereigns  or  their 
royal  commands." 

"  Your  Worship  need  have  no  fear  of  being  misconstrued, 
Senor  Alcalde,"  said  Juan  de  Penalosa,  dryly.  "Their 
Majesties  are  quite  as  much  assured  of  your  anxiety  to  do 
them  service  in  this  business  of  the  Senor  Colon  as  am  I. 


84         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Nor  will  it  be  necessary  for  you  to  make  so  long  and  labori 
ous  a  search  for  the  vessels  required,  Senor  Alcalde,  for  his 
Honor  the  Captain  has  found  three  ships  here  in  Palos  which, 
he  affirms,  will  properly  answer  his  needs.  Since  he  is  satis 
fied,  good  sir,  who  has  to  sail  in  them,  't  is  not  for  you  or 
me,  under  your  favor,  to  find  fault  with  them." 

"  Surely  not,  your  Excellency,"  murmured  Diego,  "  I  am 
the  more  rejoiced  that  his  Worship  will  have  no  further  to 
seek." 

"As  to  the  men  required,"  continued  Penalosa,  without 
noticing  the  remark,  "  their  Majesties'  orders  are  that  those 
who  refuse  to  go  with  the  Senor  Captain  when  called  upon 
shall  be  taken  in  charge  by  the  justices  and  other  officers  of 
the  peace  of  this  district,  and  compelled  to  sail ;  and  who 
ever  shall  refuse  to  furnish  the  Captain  with  the  supplies  and 
materials  of  which  he  stands  in  need  shall  be  treated  in  like 
manner.  And  the  more  to  relieve  your  Worship,  Senor,  of 
the  embarrassment  and  difficulty  of  executing  these  com 
mands,  their  Majesties  have  appointed  my  good  friend  and 
comrade  the  Senor  de  Cepada,  who  is  also  of  their  immediate 
household,  to  take  command  of  the  fortress  of  this  loyal  port 
of  Palos,  with  strict  injunction  to  assist  the  civil  authorities 
in  executing  the  royal  decrees. 

"Your  arduous  labors  being  thus  far  lightened,  worthy 
sirs,"  Penalosa  added  sarcastically,  turning  from  Diego 
Prieto  to  the  other  officials,  "  we  may  hope,  I  make  so  bold, 
that  the  owners  of  the  vessels  which  the  Senor  Colon  has 
chosen  for  his  voyage  shall  be  apprised  forthwith  by  your 
Worships  of  the  honor  done  them,  and  all  haste  be  made 
in  preparing  them  for  sea.  The  Senor  Captain  will  pay  full 
prices  for  everything,  whether  ships  or  stores  or  men,  so 
there  is  no  good  cause  for  refusing  to  serve  him.  But 
should  resistance  be  attempted  for  other  than  good  cause, 
why,  then,  Senors,  loath  as  I  would  be  to  have  to  do  it,  my 
directions  are  most  positive  to  hold  your  Worships'  and 
your  Worships'  property  responsible  for  any  delay  that  may 
occur." 

The  faces  of  the  alcalde  and  his  companions  grew  longer 


THE  HEAVY  HAND   OF  JUAN  DE  PEN  A  LOS  A.     85 

and  longer,  as  Penalosa's  lecture  continued.  When  he 
ceased  they  stood  speechless  before  him,  too  dismayed  to 
answer  a  word.  Their  ships  to  be  seized  and  turned  over 
to  Colon,  despite  all  their  elaborate  excuses  !  Themselves 
and  their  neighbors  to  be  forced  to  go  with  him,  whether 
they  wanted  or  no  !  A  new  commandant  sent  down  to 
their  fort  to  enforce  these  high-handed  orders,  and  they  to 
be  arrested  and  their  goods  confiscated  if  any  further  delay 
ensued !  All  this  was  a  sad  shock  to  the  easy-going  offi 
cials,  who  had  counted  on  wearing  out  Colon's  patience  by 
their  persistent  delays,  and  on  finding  some  plausible  excuse 
with  which  to  amuse  the  Crown  in  the  mean  time.  But  there 
was  no  doubt  about  the  reality  of  their  present  danger. 
There  stood  their  Majesties'  messenger,  sent  down  expressly 
by  the  queen  to  put  a  stop  to  their  shilly-shallying ;  and  in 
those  days  a  monarch  seldom  let  much  time  elapse  between 
making  a  threat  and  carrying  it  into  execution. 

The  silence  was  broken  by  Martin  Alonzo,  addressing 
Diego  Prieto. 

" Senor  Alcalde,"  he  said,  "I  beg  that  your  Worship  will 
take  note  that  I  have  engaged  to  find  and  equip  two  vessels 
for  the  Senor  Colon,  and  to  go  with  him  on  this  voyage  with 
the  crews  that  are  necessary.  There  is  thus  much  less  for 
your  Worships  to  do  ;  and  if  I  can  aid  you  further  in  finding 
what  yet  is  wanted,  I  pray  you  to  make  it  known  to  me." 

This  announcement  caused  even  more  of  a  sensation 
among  the  authorities  than  the  declaration  of  Penalosa ;  for 
not  only  did  it  greatly  simplify  their  labors,  but  it  also 
showed  them  that  there  was  more  in  this  enterprise  of  the 
stranger  captain's  than  any  of  them  had  fancied.  They 
were  well  aware  that  the  Pinzons  were  not  in  the  habit  of 
"working  for  the  bishop,"  as  they  called  anything  done 
from  mere  sentiment ;  and  if  the  three  brothers  had  agreed 
to  go  with  Colon  it  was  clear  that  something  besides 
glory  was  coming  from  the  voyage.  They  therefore  crowded 
around  Martin  Alonzo,  eager  to  know  the  reasons  for  his 
joining  Colon ;  but  these  he  kept  closely  to  himself.  He 
and  his  brothers  were  going  on  the  cruise,  he  said,  and  were 


86    WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

contributing  their  property  and  urging  their  friends  and  rel 
atives  to  ship  with  them.  They  knew  what  they  knew ;  and 
if  others  wanted  to  share  in  the  profits,  all  they  had  to  do 
was  to  join  too.  With  this  the  gathering  broke  up  ;  Colon 
and  his  party  going  down  to  the  port,  and  Diego  Prieto  and 
his  associates  remaining  behind  to  talk  the  matter  over  and 
concert  measures  for  at  length  complying  with  their  sover 
eigns'  orders. 

Years  afterward,  when  both  Colon  and  Martin  Alonzo 
were  in  their  graves,  the  children  of  the  latter  claimed  that 
had  it  not  been  for  his  assistance,  Colon  would  never  have 
discovered  the  new  world,  and  this  view  has  passed  to  some 
extent  into  history.  What  "might  have  been"  is  never 
easy  of  denial ;  but  for  our  part  we  are  satisfied  that  with 
his  million  of  maravedies  to  pay  his  way  and  the  emphatic 
decrees  of  the  Crown  to  support  him,  Colon  would  have 
made  his  voyage  if  all  the  Pinzons  in  Spain  had  opposed  his 
going.1  Be  that  as  it  may,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
co-operation  of  Martin  Alonzo  and  his  brothers  was  of  the 
greatest  value  to  Colon,  and  facilitated  in  every  way  the  fit 
ting  out  of  the  expedition.  This  alone,  it  seems  to  us,  is 
cause  enough  for  honoring  them,  without  seeking  to  extol 
their  merits  at  the  cost  of  their  leader's. 

Partly  influenced,  no  doubt,  by  the  action  of  the  Pinzons, 
but  still  more  by  the  knowledge  of  Penalosa's  mission,  the 
owners  of  a  third  vessel  consented,  though  with  an  ill  grace, 
to  charter  her  to  Colon.  The  little  squadron  was  not  se 
lected  at  hap- hazard,  nor  was  it  composed  of  inferior  and 
dangerously  small  craft.  In  the  choice  of  his  ships  and  in 
all  the  other  details  of  his  equipment  the  commander  acted 
with  forethought  and  deliberation.  Two  of  them,  the 

1  "  I  hold  it  for  certain,"  said  one  of  the  Royal  Council,  when  ques 
tioned  in  after  years  upon  this  point,  "  that  if  the  Admiral  Colon  had 
not  dared  to  make  that  voyage,  and  had  not  found  the  Indies,  they  would 
even  yet  be  awaiting  a  discoverer."  Dr.  Maldonado  was  one  of  the 
councillors  who  opposed  the  project  of  Colon,  and  cannot  be  accused 
of  partiality.  His  statement  was  a  direct  denial  of  the  claim  advanced 
by  the  Pinzons,  and  is  to  us  conclusive.  For  the  part  actually  taken 
by  the  Pinzon  brothers,  see  Note  G  in  the  Appendix. 


THE  HEAVY  HAND   OF  JUAN  DE  PENALOSA.     8/ 

"  Pinta  "  and  "  Nina,"  were  stout  coasting-vessels  of  light 
draught,  of  the  kind  he  thought  best  adapted  for  exploring 
purposes ;  the  third,  the  "  Santa  Maria,"  was  a  heavier  ship 
of  greater  size,  which  he  chose  to  serve  as  a  kind  of  floating 
fort  and  headquarters.  In  making  his  selection,  as  in  many 
of  his  acts  on  this  voyage,  Colon  was  guided  by  his  long  ex 
perience  on  many  coasts,  and  especially  by  what  he  had 
learned  by  sailing  with  the  Portuguese  along  the  western 
shores  of  Africa.  It  detracts  neither  from  his  fame  nor 
courage  that,  instead  of  venturing  to  cross  an  unknown  sea 
in  crazy  skiffs,  as  some  would  have  us  think,  he  used  his 
judgment  and  experience  in  choosing  the  vessels  on  which 
the  safety  of  his  crews  and  the  success  of  his  endeavor  must 
necessarily  depend. 

The  month  of  July  passed  rapidly  in  the  thousand  and 
one  duties  connected  with  the  outfit  of  such  an  expedition  ; 
for,  like  a  good  and"  prudent  sailor-man,  Colon  himself  at 
tended  to  everything  which  might  affect  the  results  of  his 
voyage.  The  ships  were  careened  on  the  river-bank  near 
Palos,  and  cleaned,  calked,  and  tallowed  down.  The  rig 
ging  and  sails  were  overhauled  and  strengthened,  or  renewed. 
Provisions,  ammunition  and  supplies  sufficient  for  a  year's 
cruise  away  from  any  chance  of  replenishing  were  gathered 
together  from  the  country  round  about  as  far  as  Seville. 
Pilots,  ship-masters,  and  seamen  were  sought  out  by  Colon 
or  Martin  Alonzo,  and  induced  to  ship  for  the  cruise  on  the 
promise  of  good  pay  and  the  hope  of  a  fortune.  Some  few 
men-at-arms,  too,  were  chosen,  for  there  would  doubtless 
be  blows  exchanged  before  the  fleet  saw  Spain  again.  A 
number  of  landsmen  were  needed  as  well ;  calkers  and 
riggers,  carpenters  and  coopers,  and  such  other  artisans  as 
might  be  wanted  about  the  vessels  or  their  stores  on  so  long 
a  voyage.  Finally,  there  was  the  small  detachment  of  civil 
aids,  always  assigned  to  a  royal  squadron  to  watch  the  oper 
ations  on  their  Majesties'  behalf,  —  a  secretary,  notary,  and 
treasurer,  or  comptroller. 

The  coming  and  going  of  all  this  company,  and  the  stir 
of  their  various  occupations,  turned  the  little  seaport  into  a 


88         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

busy  town  during  the  weeks  of  preparation.  The  excitement 
rose  as  the  ships  approached  a  state  of  readiness,  and  both 
incentives  to  go  and  appeals  for  holding  back  multiplied 
among  the  crews.  Many  of  those  who  had  engaged  them 
selves  attempted  to  draw  out  at  the  last  hour,  and  some  of 
those  who  had  declined  would  now  be  glad  to  ship  on  any 
terms.  Colon  himself  caught  some  of  the  calkers  leaving 
several  of  the  seams  in  the  ships  open,  so  that  they  would 
spring  a  leak  on  reaching  the  sea  and  have  to  put  back  to 
port  for  repairs.  Still  others  of  his  people  took  French 
leave  and  hid  themselves  away  to  avoid  the  departure,  while 
yet  a  greater  number  watched  religiously  for  the  chance  to 
follow  so  laudable  an  example.  The  difference  between  a 
grumete  of  Columbus's  time  and  a  modern  Jack  Tar  was 
more  in  the  name  and  clothes  than  in  the  character  of  the 
men. 

Working  early  and  late,  punishing  the  ill-disposed,  and 
encouraging  the  feeble-hearted,  Colon  saw  his  little  fleet 
approaching  day  by  day  nearer  to  completion.  By  the  first 
of  August  he  was  able  to  announce  to  their  Majesties  that 
he  had  ready  "  three  vessels  very  suitable  for  the  intended 
service,  well  furnished  with  a  great  plenty  of  supplies  of  all 
kinds,  and  manned  with  a  large  force  of  sea-going  folk."  1 

1  See  the  opening  sentences  of  his  Diary. 


VIII. 

THE   SEA-BREEZE    OUTSIDE  THE   BAR. 

AUGUST  is  a  warm  month  in  the  South  of  Spain,  and 
the  nights  are  short ;  so  it  was  no  hardship  for  the 
sturdy  sailor-folk  and  vine-dressers  of  Palos  to  be  up  and 
stirring  long  before  daybreak  on  Friday,  the  3d  of  that 
month,  in  the  year  of  Our  Lord  1492.  Out  in  the  stream 
of  the  river  Tinto  lay  the  "  Santa  Maria "  and  the  two 
caravels,  —  the  "  Pinta  "  and  the  "  Nina."  Between  the 
shore  and  the  little  fleet  still  plied  a  few  small  boats,  al 
though  the  crews  had  gone  on  board  their  several  vessels 
the  day  before.  All  hands  had  confessed  and  been  shriven 
of  their  sins,  as  was  the  custom  of  sea-faring  men  as  well  as 
soldiers  in  those  days,  —  Colon  to  his  devoted  friend  and 
helper,  the  superior  of  La  Rabida ;  the  others  to  the  curate 
of  St.  George's  church  in  the  village.  On  the  banks  were 
now  gathered  the  inhabitants  of  the  little  town,  together  with 
many  from  Moguer,  their  farewells  taken  and  wishes  sped  for 
a  prosperous  voyage  and  a  quick  return ;  and  among  the 
crowd  was  many  a  tear-stained  face  and  broken  voice,  for 
God  and  the  Saints  only  knew  whether  those  who  sailed  on 
yonder  ships  would  ever  see  their  native  shores  again. 

Almost  up  to  the  last  hour,  Garcia  Fernandez  had  hoped 
he  might  accompany  the  bold  and  skilful  man  he  had  grown 
so  to  admire  and  revere,  but  it  had  proved  impossible. 

"  Now  the  Saints  protect  you,  noble  friend  !  "  he  had  said, 
as,  throwing  his  arms  about  Colon,  he  gave  him  a  hearty 
Spanish  embrace.  "  I  would  give  five  years  of  my  life  could 


9O         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

I  but  make  this  voyage  with  you.  But,  granted  that  I  am 
alive  when  you  return,  naught  in  heaven  or  earth  shall  keep 
me  from  joining  you  when  next  you  sail." 

"  I  would  that  you  could  go  with  us,  Garcia,"  Colon  re 
plied  ;  "  and  your  promise  shall  not  be  forgotten  when  we 
again  set  out.  If  it  please  God,  we  shall  be  here  again 
within  the  year."1 

To  old  Juan  de  Cabezudo  and  the  village  priest,  Fray 
Martin  Sanchez,  Colon  had  intrusted  his  son  Diego,  despite 
the  lad's  protests  and  entreaties  to  be  allowed  to  accompany 
his  father.  The  old  sailor  came  up  to  bid  farewell  to  the 
Captain,  with  a  suspicious  glitter  in  his  half-closed  eyes. 

"  Have  no  fear  for  the  boy,  Master  !  "  he  said ;  "  he  shall 
get  safe  to  your  good  lady  in  Cordova  if  Juan  Rodriguez 
has  to  carry  him  in  his  arms.  Sinner  that  I  am,"  he  ex 
claimed  in  a  sudden  burst  of  regret,  "  that  I  should  be  left 
to  tend  the  children  when  your  Worship  sails  on  so  brave  a 
cruise  !  "  And  he  turned  away  almost  angry  with  Colon  for 
his  own  fault  in  not  having  gone. 

Fray  Antonio  embraced  his  friend,  the  tears  running  down 
the  faces  of  both. 

"  God  and  His  angels  have  you  and  all  who  go  with  you 
in  their  holy  keeping,  Son  Cristoval !  "  said  the  good  priest, 
his  voice  shaking  with  emotion.  "  Bear  you  always  in  mind 
that  those  who  love  you  are  daily  praying  for  your  welfare, 
and  counting  the  weary  hours  to  your  return." 

Colon  was  scarcely  less  moved.  "  I  am  the  least  of  all 
His  servants,  dear  friend,"  he  answered.  "  In  His  hands 
we  are,  and  He  shall  not  fail  us." 

The  light  mists  of  early  morning  were  still  hanging  over 
the  water,  as  those  on  shore  saw  the  dim  sails  slowly  hoisted 
on  the  shadowy  vessels  out  in  the  channel,  and  heard  the 
creaking  of  the  blocks  as  the  sailors  hauled  them  home. 
Down  the  river  was  still  gently  blowing  the  cool  terral,  the 
wind  which  draws  by  night  from  the  mountains  toward  the 

1  It  has  often  been  asserted  that  the  young  physician  sailed  with 
Columbus  on  this  voyage ;  but  the  Garcia  Fernandez  who  shipped  on 
the  "  Pinta  "  as  steward  was  another  and  much  older  man. 


THE  SEA-BREEZE  OUTSIDE    THE  BAR.  91 

sea.  Aided  by  this  and  the  ebb  tide,  the  ships  gathered 
way,  and  slowly  stood  down  stream  toward  the  broad  estuary 
where  the  Odiel  joins  the  Tinto  a  league  below  the  town. 
As  they  widened  the  distance  between  them  and  those  who 
were  left  behind,  the  crowd  melted  away  and  turned  back 
to  the  village  church,  once  more  to  offer  their  prayers  and 
make  their  vows  for  the  safety  of  those  who  had  gone. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  the  fleet  reached  the  Saltes 
bar,  over  which  lay  the  course  to  the  wide  Atlantic.  The 
land-breeze  had  fallen  as  the  sun  rose  higher,  and  now  at 
eight  o'clock  was  barely  giving  them  steerage-way.  Out 
beyond  the  bar  the  breeze  was  coming  in  from  the  open  sea, 
blowing  fresh  and  strong  from  that  wondrous  western  ocean. 
As  the  ships  plunged  through  the  rollers  on  the  shallower 
bar,  the  sails  filled  to  the  steady  gale,  and  the  three  bows 
were  headed  due  south,  to  clear  the  Spanish  coast  and  then 
lay  direct  for  the  distant  Canaries. 

"  In  the  name  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  their  commander 
had  undertaken  his  desperate  adventure ;  and  as  the  flat 
shores  of  Andalusia  drifted  from  his  sight,  even  his  stout 
heart  must  have  felt  that  more  than  mortal  skill  and  courage 
would  be  sorely  wanted  before  he  saw  their  level  beaches 
again. 

We  know  already  that  Colon's  studies  had  led  him  to 
believe  that  the  shortest  route  to  the  mainland  of  Asia  and 
the  islands  lying  to  the  east  of  it  was  to  be  found  by  sailing 
due  west  from  the  Canaries,  and  it  was  for  this  reason  that 
he  had  laid  his  course  for  that  group  on  leaving  the  mouth 
of  the  Tinto.  Moreover  these  islands  formed  the  frontier 
possessions  of  Spain  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  by  touching 
at  them  on  his  voyage,  he  would  be  able  to  replenish  his 
stock  of  water  and  provisions,  and  to  some  degree  break 
the  dread  which  so  many  of  his  sailors  had  of  sailing  away 
into  the  remote  west.  The  islands  had  not  then  been  so 
long  discovered  that  a  voyage  to  them  was  as  yet  thought 
lightly  of.  Those  of  his  people  who  had  not  before  ven 
tured  so  far  out  on  the  Atlantic  would,  he  hoped,  take  heart 
and  lose  some  of  their  fears  on  hearing  their  own  tongue 


92         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

spoken,  and  seeing  the  world  to  be  so  much  the  same  in 
that  distant  archipelago  which  they  had  been  accustomed 
to  regard  as  the  very  confines  of  the  earth. 

Colon  was  too  experienced  a  commander  not  to  realize 
the  possibilities  of  mutiny  and  disorder  among  the  motley 
assemblage  which  manned  his  squadron,  once  they  were 
finally  cut  off  from  that  part  of  the  world  with  which  they 
were  familiar.  Too  large  a  proportion  of  his  crews  had 
shipped  with  him  in  a  half-hearted  way,  —  either  over- 
persuaded  by  the  Pinzons,  or  in  dread  of  being  pressed  into 
the  service  by  Penalosa,  —  for  him  to  have  any  great  confi 
dence  in  their  fidelity  and  perseverance.  With  this  in  view, 
he  had  arranged  with  Martin  Alonzo  to  divide  up  the  doubt 
ful  men  in  such  manner  that  they  would  all  be  under  a 
strong  control.  He  himself  commanded  the  "  Santa  Maria," 
on  which  were  chiefly  placed  men  from  Palos  itself,  a 
grumbling  and  discontented  lot  in  large  part.  With  him  also 
sailed  the  officers  of  the  Crown,  attached  to  every  royal 
expedition,  whom  he  had  selected  from  those  of  his  own 
acquaintance  who  had  volunteered  to  accompany  him.  A 
nephew  of  his  faithful  friend  the  superior  of  La  Rabida, 
Rodrigo  de  Escovedo,  by  name,  filled  the  office  of  royal 
notary,  and  was  charged  with  the  duty  of  keeping  for  their 
Majesties'  inspection  a  formal  record  of  all  the  incidents  of 
the  voyage.  Diego  de  Arana,  a  brother  of  the  lady  whom 
Colon  considered  and  treated  as  his  second  wife,1  served 
as  alguacil,  or  justice,  of  the  fleet.  Rodrigo  Sanchez,  of 
Segovia,  in  whom  he  had  much  confidence,  was  commis 
sioner,  or  inspector-general,  for  the  Crown ;  and  Pedro  de 
Gutierrez,  one  of  the  queen's  own  household  officers,  acted 
as  a  sort  of  general  aide.  With  these  to  assist  him  and  lend 
him  countenance,  Colon  was  satisfied  that  he  could  restrain 
any  attempt  at  insubordination  on  his  own  ship.  In  com 
mand  of  the  "  Pinta  "  he  had  placed  Martin  Alonzo,  with  his 

1  Colon  in  at  least  one  letter  refers  to  Dona  Beatrix  as  his  "  wife." 
In  his  will,  however,  he  leaves  her  a  legacy  under  her  maiden  name, 
adding,  "  And  this  I  do  for  the  discharge  of  my  conscience.  The 
reason  therefor  it  is  not  right  to  mention  here." 


THE  SEA-BREEZE   OUTSIDE   THE  BAR.          93 

brother  Francisco,  as  lieutenant,  having  grave  reasons  for 
doubting  not  only  the  loyalty  of  many  of  her  crew,  but  being 
still  more  suspicious  of  her  owners,  —  two  turbulent  fellows 
named  Rascon  and  Quintero,  who  sailed  on  her  as  well. 
Vicente  Yanez  Pinzon  was  captain  of  the  "  Nina ;  "  and  it  is 
a  pleasure  to  note  that  from  first  to  last  of  the  long  and 
adventurous  voyage  this  "  little  girl,"  as  the  name  signifies, 
gave  Colon  neither  anxiety  nor  trouble,  and  in  the  hour  of 
his  greatest  need  was  the  means  of  saving  him  and  all 
the  company  on  the  flagship.  In  the  crews  were  sailors 
from  all  the  maritime  districts  of  Spain,  besides  Genoese 
and  Frenchmen,  Basques  and  Portuguese,  men  from  the 
Balearic  Islands,  a  converted  Jew,  one  Englishman,  and  a 
single  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  —  as  ill-assorted  a  com 
pany  as  ever  manned  a  modern  man-of-war. 

The  fresh  breeze  held  good  all  day,  and  by  sundown 
Colon  was  clear  of  the  great  bay  which  lies  between  Cape 
St.  Vincent  and  Gibraltar.  Signalling  his  two  companions, 
he  changed  his  course  to  southwest,  and  stood  straight  for 
the  Canaries.  Saturday  and  Sunday  found  the  fleet  holding 
steadily  on  its  way,  and  making  a  regular  five  or  six  miles 
an  hour.  To  its  leader  the  fair  weather  and  rapid  progress 
were  an  earnest  of  the  success  he  never  doubted  would  be 
his ;  and  as  the  western  breeze  hummed  through  the  rigging, 
and  his  little  ship  rose  and  fell  with  the  long  Atlantic  swell, 
his  mind  was  filled  with  thoughts  and  speculations  about  the 
ocean  which  lay  between  him  and  the  lands  he  so  surely 
believed  lay  behind  the  quivering  horizon.  There  was  no 
lack  of  work,  however,  either  for  him  or  his  crews  on  these 
first  days  upon  salt-water,  in  getting  ship  and  cargo  in 
proper  shape  for  the  service  that  was  ahead  ;  and  Colon  was 
a  man  to  see  that  both  his  own  and  his  lieutenants'  vessels 
were  put  in  right  condition.  So  far  all  was  going  well,  and 
he  encouraged  his  officers  to  dispel,  by  all  means  in  their 
power,  the  foolish  dread  and  doubt  which  existed  in  the 
minds  of  so  many  of  the  men. 

On  Monday  the  wind  freshened,  and  the  day  broke  over 
a  gray  and  boisterous  waste  of  waters.  As  Colon  watched 


94         WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

with  some  anxiety  from  the  high  poop-deck  of  the  "  Santa 
Maria  "  the  behavior  of  his  two  smaller  vessels,  he  saw  the 
"  Pinta  "  come  up  into  the  wind  and  then  fall  off,  a  rolling 
hulk,  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  Steering  for  her,  he  hailed 
Martin  Alonzo  and  asked  what  was  amiss.  The  steering, 
gear  had  given  way  and  the  rudder  been  partially  unshipped 
by  the  violence  of  the  waves,  the  "  Pinta's  "  captain  replied. 

"  Have  no  fear  for  us,  your  Worship,"  Pinzon  cheerily 
added,  knowing  well  the  thought  that  was  in  his  comman 
der's  mind ;  "  we  can  rig  up  a  makeshift  to  carry  us  into 
port,  and  the  *  Pinta '  shall  not  see  Palos  until  our  voyage 
is  done." 

The  heavy  seas  prevented  Colon  from  lending  any  aid  to 
his  companion ;  but  he  stood  by  until  the  skilful  master  of 
the  disabled  vessel  had  improvised  a  substitute  for  the 
damaged  rudder. 

"  'T  is  well  Martin  Alonzo  is  on  board  the  ship,"  Colon 
said  to  his  aides,  as  they  watched  the  smaller  craft  tossing 
and  pitching  a  cable's  length  away.  "  I  greatly  doubt  if 
her  rascally  owners  did  not  aid  the  waves  in  their  work  of 
wrecking  the  rudder  there.  They  are  mutinous  dogs  at 
best,  and  gave  me  many  a  ruffle  ere  we  sailed.  Had 
they  their  own  way,  I  warrant,  they  would  find  in  this  early 
mischance  a  good  excuse  for  putting  back  to  Spain." 

Martin  Alonzo  was  a  man  fruitful  in  resource,  however, 
and  of  an  iron  will,  and  before  the  day  was  old  had  sig 
nalled  the  Captain  that  all  was  well ;  and  the  fleet  pursued 
its  way,  greatly  to  the  chagrin  of  the  worthy  Rascon  and 
Quintero  and  such  of  the  crews  as  had  hoped  the  "  acci 
dent  "  might  lead  to  a  return  to  Palos  for  repairs  —  and 
desertion. 

The  next  day,  Tuesday,  the  temporary  steering  apparatus 
gave  way  again  on  the  "Pinta,"  and  the  squadron  had  to 
heave  to  a  second  time  and  wait  until  it  was  repaired.  These 
delays  and  the  necessity  of  sailing  cautiously  on  account 
of  the  weakness  of  the  rude  arrangement  contrived  by  Mar 
tin  Alonzo,  much  impaired  the  progress  of  the  fleet,  and 
brought  it  down  to  a  scant  three  miles  an  hour.  Colon 


THE  SEA-BREEZE   OUTSIDE    THE  BAR.  95 

fretted  under  the  detention,  and  determined  that  on  reach 
ing  the  Canaries  he  would  endeavor  to  get  another  vessel 
to  take  the  "  Pinta's  "  place.  This  decision  was  still  further 
confirmed  on  the  next  morning,  when  Martin  Alonzo  an 
nounced  that  his  ship  had  sprung  a  leak  over  night,  in  addi 
tion  to  her  previous  disaster.  The  report  of  this  new  mishap 
also  served  to  increase  the  apprehensions  of  the  disaffected 
among  the  three  crews,  which  were  not  relieved  by  a  dis 
pute  arising  among  the  pilots  as  to  their  precise  where 
abouts  in  that  vast  expanse  of  ocean.  Fearful  of  leaving 
the  beaten  track,  and  haunted  by  dread  of  what  might  be 
encountered  at  every  league  of  unvisited  water,  the  sailors 
now  began  to  curse  the  day  they  started  on  such  a  mad 
man's  cruise.  But  Colon,  with  his  more  perfect  knowledge 
of  navigation  and  more  accurate  observation,  satisfied  the 
pilots  that  their  course  was  still  a  right  one,  and  the  fears  of 
the  ignorant  men  in  part  subsided. 

The  following  Sunday,  the  i2th  of  August,  proved  the 
correctness  of  his  calculations,  and  greatly  served  to  revive 
confidence  in  their  leader  among  the  fickle  seamen  ;  for  they 
came  within  sight  of  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe  and  the  prin 
cipal  island  of  the  Archipelago,  called  for  distinction  the 
Great  Canary.  The  lofty  summit  of  Teneriffe  was  at  that 
time  an  active  crater ;  and  Colon's  log-book  notes  that  as 
they  approached  it  they  saw  "  a  great  flame  issuing  from 
the  mountain  on  the  island,  which  is  excessively  high,  in 
a  marvellous  manner."  Such  of  his  mariners  as  had  not 
seen  a  burning  mountain  before  were  much  impressed  by 
the  sight  of  this  huge  volume  of  fire  and  smoke  rising  ap 
parently  from  out  of  the  sea ;  but  their  shipmates  who  had 
seen  ^Etna  and  Stromboli  when  sailing  in  the  Mediterranean 
laughed  at  them  for  simpletons,  and  made  merry  over  their 
fears.  Leaving  Martin  Alonzo  at  anchor  at  the  larger  island, 
since  the  "  Pinta  "  could  not  safely  navigate  without  repairs, 
Colon  continued  on  to  the  neighboring  island  of  Gomera 
in  search  of  the  vessel  he  wanted  to  supply  her  place. 
Failing  to  find  such  an  one,  he  detailed  a  few  men  to  re 
main  behind  and  collect  a  store  of  fresh  provisions  and  fire- 


96        WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

wood,  while  he  sailed  back  at  once  to  Martin  Alonzo.  On 
joining  him  all  hands  set  to  work  to  careen  the  "  Pinta  "  on 
the  beach  and  put  her  in  thorough  condition  for  the  hard 
work  ahead.  Taught  by  the  recent  mishaps  to  mistrust  her 
owners,  Colon  and  the  Pinzons  personally  superintended  the 
workmen  engaged  in  calking  the  ship  and  replacing  the 
rudder.  Then,  to  improve  her  sailing  qualities,  they  changed 
her  rig  from  the  lateen-sails  of  the  Spanish  coasting-vessels 
to  the  square  sails  better  adapted  for  deep-sea  voyages.  All 
this  was  done,  the  log-book  tells  us,  only  "  at  the  expense  of 
great  labor  and  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  commander,  of 
Martin  Alonzo,  and  all  the  others ;  "  but  when  it  was  com 
pleted  Colon  felt  repaid  for  the  delay,  for  the  "  Pinta  "  proved 
thereafter  the  best  sailer  of  the  three. 

It  was  not  until  the  third  Sunday,  September  2,  that  this 
overhauling  was  completed  and  the  fleet  was  able  to  make 
for  Gomera,  where  was  then  the  chief  port  of  the  islands. 
Here,  while  the  ships  were  taking  in  fresh  water  and  sup 
plies,  many  of  the  men  were  necessarily  on  shore,  and  from 
the  inhabitants  they  heard  repeated  accounts  of  the  land 
which  had  been  seen  on  unusually  clear  days  lying  afar  in 
the  west.  No  one  had  as  yet  been  able  to  discover  it  by 
sailing  toward  it,  it  was  true ;  but  none  the  less  did  the 
residents  of  Gomera  and  all  who  had  been  in  those  waters 
believe  firmly  in  its  existence.  To  Colon  the  tale  was,  as 
we  know,  no  novelty,  and  he  was  satisfied  that  even  if  such 
a  land  did  in  reality  exist,  it  would  be  found  to  be  only 
some  unvisited  island  ;  but  the  story  had  a  good  effect  upon 
his  sailors,  for  it  led  them  to  look  upon  the  ocean  as  less 
likely  to  be  so  dreadful  a  wilderness  as  it  was  represented, 
and  to  hope  to  find  land  from  time  to  time,  as  they  sailed 
away  from  the  world  they  knew. 

On  the  third  day  after  reaching  Gomera,  news  was  brought 
to  Colon  which  caused  him  to  complete  hastily  his  fitting  out 
and  get  under  way  without  further  delay.  A  caravel  ar 
rived  from  the  adjoining  island  of  Ferro,  the  westernmost 
of  the  Canary  group,  lying  some  seventy  miles  from  where 
he  was  at  anchor,  and  reported  that  three  Portuguese  ves- 


THE  SEA-BREEZE   OUTSIDE    THE  BAR.  97 

sels  were  cruising  in  that  vicinity  without  any  apparent 
motive.  Spain  and  Portugal  were  at  complete  peace,  and 
there  was  nothing  to  attract  a  foreign  squadron  to  those 
shores ;  so  the  islanders  who  brought  the  news  were  at  a  loss 
to  account  for  the  presence  of  the  strangers.  Colon,  however, 
inspired  by  his  deep-grounded  distrust  of  all  that  was  Por 
tuguese,  was  quick  to  fathom  the  object  of  this  new  arrival, 
and  realized  that  it  was  full  of  menace  for  himself  and  his 
expedition. 

"  Look  you,  Sefior  Rodrigo,"  he  said  to  the  inspector, 
as  soon  as  he  heard  the  report  confirmed,  "  had  these  ships 
of  the  Portuguese  king  come  frankly  into  port  either  here 
or  at  Ferro,  we  might  have  naught  to  fear,  since  they  would 
assuredly  be  bound  to  or  coming  from  the  settlements  of 
that  Crown  on  the  Guinea  coasts.  But  since  they  are  lying 
off  the  westernmost  of  these  islands  and  in  the  very  track 
we  should  pursue,  I  cannot  doubt  that  they  come  to  arrest 
our  endeavor  and  take  us  prisoners  to  Lisbon.  His  Majesty 
of  Portugal  has  ever  been  jealous  of  our  gracious  sovereign's 
success  at  sea,  and  on  the  knowledge  of  our  voyage  and 
our  intent  to  touch  these  islands  has  doubtless  despatched 
these  ships  to  intercept  us.  This,  too,  we  owe  to  the  owners 
of  the  '  Pinta,'  "  he  added  with  bitterness. 

His  officers  saw  no  reason  to  question  the  correctness 
of  this  view,  for  both  from  the  Court  and  from  Palos  the 
Portuguese  king  might  have  learned  the  destination  of  the 
ships  during  the  time  they  were  fitting  out,  and  had  ample 
leisure  to  despatch  a  fleet  for  their  capture,  did  he  so  desire. 
There  was  but  one  opinion  among  Colon's  lieutenants,  and 
that  was  that  sail  should  be  made  at  once  and  the  doubtful 
cruisers  evaded  at  all  costs.  Their  leader,  as  was  his  wont, 
took  the  matter  calmly,  and  looked  confidently  for  Divine 
Providence  to  deliver  him  in  safety  from  the  threatened 
catastrophe  ;  but  Martin  Alonzo  was  more  vehement  in  his 
expressions. 

"May  God  forbid,  Senor  Colon,"  he  said  with  emphasis, 
"  that  the  fleet  of  our  great  monarchs  should  turn  back  at 
the  bidding  of  any  one  !  We  have  left  our  homes  to  find 

7 


98        WITH  THE  ADMIKAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

these  new  lands  of  Asia,  and  with  His  help  we  shall  do  it. 
Let  us  steer  our  course,  Senor,  and  hold  our  own  against  all 
who  would  check  us." 

"Well  said,  Senor  Martin,"  Colon  replied;  "and  if  we 
keep  well  together,  and  sail  to  the  south  of  Ferro,  the 
Portuguese  captain  shall  have  but  sorry  news  to  take  to  his 
king  when  next  he  sees  the  Tagus." 

At  daybreak  on  the  following  morning,  the  6th  of  Septem 
ber,  Colon  left  Gomera  and  stood  westward.  His  anxieties 
were  far  from  over,  though,  for  all  that  day  and  the  next  and 
the  third  day,  until  after  midnight,  they  drifted  in  a  dead 
calm  between  that  island  and  Teneriffe,  consoled  only  by 
the  reflection  that  where  they  could  make  no  progress  their 
envious  rivals  could  make  none.  Before  dawn  on  the  8th, 
a  strong  breeze  set  in  from  the  northwest ;  and  Colon  laid 
his  course  due  west,  according  to  his  unvarying  intention  to 
follow  the  parallel  of  the  Canary  Islands  in  his  voyage.  As 
the  stately  peak  sank  behind  the  horizon  astern  of  them,  the 
fears  of  the  more  timid  among  the  crews  revived,  and  they 
were  inclined  to  bemoan  their  cruel  fate  in  being  thus 
compelled  to  plunge  into  the  terrors  and  mysteries  of  that 
dreaded  western  sea;  but  the  stouter  hearts  and  clearer 
heads  among  them  still  laughed  down  their  complaints,  and 
looked  forward  with  eagerness  to  the  wealth  and  adventures 
in  store. 

These  men  who  sailed  with  Columbus  were  not  the  fools 
and  tearful  cowards  they  have  sometimes  been  painted. 
Like  the  men  of  all  ages,  they  were  no  better  than  the  times 
they  lived  in,  and  theirs  were  the  days  of  ignorance  and  of 
superstition  in  all  that  related  to  the  unknown.  When  the 
prows  of  their  ships  pointed  toward  the  west  from  Gomera, 
not  only  were  they  leaving  astern  their  own  familiar  shores 
of  Europe,  but  also  those  of  Africa  and  the  Cape  Verde 
Islands,  of  Madeira,  the  Canaries,  and  Azores,  —  all  that 
they  had  ever  heard  of  as  being  the  very  farthest  verge  of 
the  world  they  lived  in.  Columbus  himself  had  never  been 
able  to  convince  many  of  the  so-called  wise  men  of  his  time 
that  the  earth  was  round,  and  that  by  pursuing  a  given  course 


THE  SEA-BREEZE   OUTSIDE   THE  BAR.          99 

it  might  be  encircled.1  What  wonder,  then,  that  ignorant 
seamen  from  the  little  creeks  and  bays  of  Southern  Spain  — 
and  much  more  the  landsmen,  who  formed  so  large  a  part 
of  the  company  —  should  fear  lest  some  day,  by  going  too 
rashly  westward,  they  should  come  to  the  end  of  all  things 
and  fall  over  into  Space  ?  Their  credulity  had  been  fed  on 
wild  tales  of  bottomless  whirlpools,  of  mighty  monsters  who 
made  but  a  mouthful  of  ships  and  men,  and  of  blazing  zones 
where  vessels  and  crews  were  burned  to  coals  by  the  heat  of 
the  too  close  sun.  Had  we  been  there,  good  reader,  no  doubt 
our  hearts  would  have  sunk  as  low  as  the  lowest,  when  the 
smoky  pennant  of  Teneriffe  was  lost  to  sight.  As  our  tale 
proceeds,  we  shall  find  these  same  men,  though  at  times 
grumbling  and  quarrelsome,  as  becomes  all  sailors,  doing 
many  a  deed  of  daring  and  high  courage,  and  showing 
themselves  to  be  in  this  as  well  true  sons  of  the  sea ;  whose 
heads  were  none  the  less  cool,  nor  their  hands  the  less 
ready,  when  face  to  face  with  imminent  danger,  because  their 
tongues  were  hung  somewhat  slack,  and  they  saw  according 
toftheir  lights. 

Meanwhile  the  little  fleet  was  running  before  a  good  stiff 
breeze,  and,  passing  within  sight  of  the  highlands  of  Ferro, 
soon  left  the  King  of  Portugal's  cruisers  hull  down  below  the 
eastern  horizon. 

1  In  later  years  he  argued  that  it  was  pear-shaped  rather  than  round. 


IX. 

IN  THE  PATH   OF    THE  SUN. 

FOR  exactly  four  weeks  to  the  day,  the  fleet  held  its  way 
due  west,  following  persistently  the  same  parallel  of 
latitude.  The  result  completely  justified  Colon's  expecta 
tions  that  he  should  thereby  find  the  safest  and  best  course, 
for  during  all  that  time  they  enjoyed  fair  weather  and 
made  steady  progress.  Once  or  twice,  as  we  shall  see,  they 
were  indeed  driven  slightly  off  their  track,  but  never  for 
more  than  a  few  hours ;  and  in  that  perservering  determina 
tion  to  follow  out  what  he  believed  to  be  the  true  route,  no 
less  than  in  the  amazing  confirmation  of  his  careful  compu 
tations  later  on,  we  may  discern  both  the  evidence  of  the 
great  navigator's  genius  and  the  cause  of  his  success. 

At  the  outset,  on  losing  sight  of  Ferro,  a  heavy-head  sea 
assailed  the  little  squadron,  whose  round  and  tubby  bows 
offered  too  ample  a  surface  to  any  opposing  waves ;  but 
this  difficulty  did  not  last  long.  On  the  second  day  there 
was  a  slight  return  of  disaffection  among  the  discontented 
portion  of  the  crews.  Although  strictly  warned  to  keep  the 
ship's  head  constantly  to  the  west,  the  steersmen  of  the 
Captain's  vessel  repeatedly  brought  her  around  to  a  north 
west  course,  and  the  other  two  vessels  naturally  followed 
the  lead  thus  given  them.  The  perversity  with  which  this 
was  done,  despite  his  reiterated  commands,  satisfied  Colon 
that  either  the  men  were  anxious  to  give  the  fleet  a  greater 
northing,  in  accordance  with  the  general  belief  that  the 
farther  north  they  sailed  the  farther  they  would  be  from  the 
terrors  they  had  heard  of,  or  else  that  they  wished  to  get  a 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  THE  SUN  IOI 

glimpse,  if  possible,  of  the  famous  land  of  which  they  had 
been  told  when  in  Gomera.  Wearied  with  this  continued 
disobedience,  and  conscious  of  the  danger  of  any  sign  of 
weakness,  Colon  rated  the  guilty  men  soundly  for  their 
fault. 

"  Mark  you,  my  men  !  "  he  said,  going  up  to  them  and 
speaking  with  sternness ;  "  our  course  lies  west  and  ever 
west,  and  thither  shall  we  sail.  See  you  to  it  that  we  leave 
it  not  again  without  my  orders.  I  care  for  no  more  of  this 
wandering  about,  and  on  your  shoulders  shall  fall  the  penalty 
if  I  am  not  heeded  now." 

This  trick  of  his  sailors  gave  Colon  renewed  uneasiness, 
and  led  him  to  anticipate  a  frequent  repetition  of  their 
disaffection  in  one  way  or  another.  The  better  to  avoid 
this,  as  far  as  possible,  he  resolved  to  make  the  voyage  seem 
shorter  than  it  really  was.  Thus  each  day,  on  calculating 
the  previous  day's  run,  he  noted  privately  the  real  distance ; 
but  he  announced  to  his  pilots  and  crew  a  lesser  one.  In 
the  twenty-four  hours,  ending  at  midnight  of  the  gth,  they 
sailed  in  reality  seventy  leagues ;  but  Colon  gave  out  that 
they  had  made  forty-eight  only.  His  own  expectation  was, 
as  we  have  seen,  that  he  should  find  land  about  seven  hun 
dred  and  fifty  leagues  west  of  the  Canaries,  and  this  he  had 
declared  without  reserve  as  his  conviction ;  but  as  this  was 
based  on  his  calculations  alone,  —  since  no  one  really  knew 
as  yet  whether  there  was  any  other  side  to  the  world  or  not, 
—  he  provided  like  a  prudent  man  for  being  mistaken,  and, 
to  prevent  his  followers  from  becoming  too  soon  discouraged 
at  a  long  voyage,  led  them  to  suppose  it  was  much  shorter 
than  in  fact  it  was.  In  these  days  of  corrected  observations 
and  patent  logs  such  a  stratagem  seems  puerile ;  but  when 
the  working  out  of  a  ship's  position  was  a  problem  of  the 
highest  art,  it  was  an  easier  matter.  As  the  pilots  of  the 
three  ships  never  agreed  in  their  own  calculations,  and  all 
admitted  him  to  be  head  and  shoulders  their  superior  in  the 
science  of  navigation,  Colon  had  no  difficulty  in  persuading 
them  of  the  accuracy  of  his  account.  This  practice  stood 
him  in  good  stead  later  on ;  and,  happily  for  all,  when  the 


IO2       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

discrepancy  between  his  figures  as  proclaimed  and  those  of 
his  pilots  grew  to  be  suspiciously  wide,  he  fell  upon  land,  and 
no  further  management  was  necessary. 

On  the  fourth  day  out  from  Ferro,  the  "  Santa  Maria  " 
passed  close  to  a  large  mast,  apparently  the  wreckage  of  a  ship 
of  considerable  burthen.  The  sailors  tried  to  seize  it,  but 
failed  in  the  effort ;  and  the  water-logged  piece  of  timber 
bobbed  gradually  out  of  sight  in  their  wake.  Even  to  this 
day,  when  the  Atlantic  Ocean  is  little  more  than  a  lane  for 
shipping  in  quiet  seasons,  the  sight  of  a  bit  of  broken  spar 
will  stir  some  flicker  of  superstitious  sentiment  in  the  mind 
of  many  a  sailor,  and  the  more  especially  if  he  be  from  the 
South  of  Europe.  To  the  mariners  who  lined  the  bulwarks 
of  Colon's  flagship  this  lonely  flotsam,  as  it  drifted  uneasily 
on  that  unknown  sea,  spoke  loudly  of  disaster  and  destruc 
tion  to  those  who  ventured  farther  on.  The  grumblers  had 
a  new  text  to  preach  from ;  and  the  faint-hearted  a  fresh 
excuse  for  their  alarm,  which  all  the  jeers  of  their  more 
courageous  shipmates,  who  saw  in  the  mast  only  a  broken 
log,  were  unable  to  allay. 

Two  days  later  this  superstitious  fear  found  new  food  to 
fatten  on ;  for  it  was  whispered  through  the  ship  that  the 
needle  no  longer  pointed  north.  This  was  so  direct  a  con 
firmation  of  all  that  they  had  heard  of  the  end  of  the  earth 
lying  in  those  quarters  and  of  the  awful  chaos  and  darkness 
lying  beyond,  that  even  the  bolder  seamen  began  to  question 
the  wisdom  of  going  any  farther.  They  had  sailed  now  six 
hundred  miles  out  into  the  western  sea,  and  found  no  land  ; 
and  if  they  were  once  to  lose  the  guidance  of  the  compass, 
what  hope  remained  of  their  ever  repassing  in  safety  the 
trackless  waste  that  already  stretched  between  them  and 
home  ?  As  if  to  serve  for  an  additional  warning,  sent  direct 
by  Heaven  itself,  on  the  second  night  after  this  discovery, 
while  it  yet  formed  the  absorbing  staple  of  discussion  aboard 
the  "  Santa  Maria,"  as  the  crew  were  grouped  about  the  deck 
talking  in  low  tones  of  the  dread  which  filled  their  minds, 
or  brooding  sullenly  over  the  fate  which  might  await  them, 
a  huge  meteor  shot  athwart  the  sky,  and  plunged  with  vast 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  THE  SUN.  103 

confusion  into  the  sea  not  far  away.  Terrified  by  a  sight 
which  even  on  land  was  looked  upon  as  a  portent  of  evil  and 
distress,  the  awe- struck  sailors  now  noticed  that  the  long 
trail  of  colored  fire  left  by  the  blazing  mass  did  not  disappear 
at  once,  as  they  were  wont  to  see  it,  but  hung  wavering  and 
uncertain  on  the  dark  curtain  of  the  night,  —  a  ghostly  and 
uncanny  sign  full  of  sinister  meaning.  Such  is  often  the 
manner  of  meteoric  wakes  in  the  latitudes  where  now  the 
fleet  was  sailing ;  but  it  was  new  to  Colon's  men,  and  only 
served  to  cast  their  minds  into  a  deeper  gloom.  What  more 
was  wanting,  they  urged,  to  prove  the  folly  of  farther  prog 
ress  ?  Had  not  God  Himself  lighted  that  warning  beacon 
which  faded  so  reluctantly  from  their  anxious  sight? 

Their  commander  was  keenly  aware  of  this  growing  dis 
content  among  his  people,  and  thought  long  and  deeply 
over  a  means  for  overcoming  it.  To  him  the  fluctuation  of 
the  needle  —  now  familiar  to  every  schoolboy  as  the  mag 
netic  variation  —  was  as  unknown  and  mysterious  as  to  any 
of  his  crew ;  for  this  was  the  first  time  he  had  observed  the 
strange  phenomenon  l  Discarding  the  childish  superstitions 
of  his  companions,  he  sought  its  explanation  in  natural 
causes,  being  an  acute  and  patient  investigator ;  and  if  the 
reason  he  finally  gave  his  men  was  not  absolutely  correct,  it 
served  to  satisfy  them,  and  was  at  least  as  plausible  as  most 
theories  which  have  since  been  advanced.  Closely  watching 
the  compass  day  and  night,  and  comparing  its  fluctuations 
with  the  polar  star,  he  found  that  the  variation  was  greatest  at 
night ;  while  in  the  morning  the  needle  pointed  in  a  true  line 
with  the  star.  He  explained  to  his  pilots  and  crew,  therefore, 
that  the  irregularity  was  due  to  no  change  on  the  part  of  the 
compass,  but  to  the  fact  that  the  star  itself  described  a  tiny 
circle  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  the  needle  thus  pointing  a 
little  away  from  it  at  one  hour  while  at  another  it  was  true. 
So  specious  was  this  exposition  that  it  not  only  allayed  the 

1  Columbus  was  not  the  discoverer  of  the  magnetic  variation,  as 
Mr.  Irving  considered  ;  basing  his  supposition  on  Navarrete's  assertion. 
The  phenomenon  had  been  observed  and  commented  on  by  several 
earlier  geographers. 


IO4   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

sailors'  fears  of  a  catastrophe  from  this  cause,  but  strength 
ened  their  confidence  in  their  captain's  sagacity  and  pro 
fessional  skill.  Both  this  reasoning  of  Colon  and  his  act 
in  keeping  a  double  reckoning  have  been  of  late  years 
unsparingly  criticised  as  unworthy  and  paltry  deceptions,  in 
dicative  alike  of  a  lack  of  principle  and  courage ;  but  we  fail 
to  see  the  justice  of  such  censure.  Colon  clearly  believed 
the  exactness  of  the  conclusion  he  adopted  regarding  the 
needle ;  for  he  maintained  it  in  later  years  by  more  elabo 
rate  arguments.  If  he  was  not  as  wise  as  we  are  in  this 
particular,  no  doubt  our  grandchildren  shall  say  as  much 
of  us  in  other  respects.  As  to  the  double  reckoning,  he 
was  aware  that  the  distance  he  had  to  sail  was  at  least  prob 
lematical,  and  knew  that  his  men  would  seize  upon  the  first 
excuse  to  turn  back  should  land  not  be  found  somewhere 
near  where  his  charts  established  it.  In  his  own  words, 
"  the  mariners  were  accustomed  every  day  to  see  land,  and 
on  their  longest  voyages  never  sailed  two  hundred  leagues 
without  seeing  it."  His  object  was  not  deception,  but  pre 
caution  ;  and  we  cannot  find  any  trace  of  moral  obliquity  in 
the  transaction.  On  the  contrary,  to  our  mind,  in  quieting 
the  seamen's  dread  lest  their  compasses  had  played  them 
false,  and  in  providing  for  the  contingencies  of  a  doubtful 
future  as  to  the  distance  to  be  run,  Colon  crossed  in  safety 
his  frailest  bridge ;  for  what  greater  fear  could  possess  the 
ignorant  sailors  on  such  a  voyage  than  that  both  chart  and 
compass  were  faithless  guides? 

Nature  herself  came  now  to  his  rescue,  and  rebuked  the 
timid  apprehensions  of  his  crews  with  signs  of  hopefulness 
so  plain  that  even  the  landsmen  on  board  could  read  the 
message.  Over  the  "  Nina  "  had  flown  two  birds  which  the 
sailors  recognized  as  living  on  shore;  and  on  the  i6th  of 
September,  the  ninth  day  of  their  westward  sailing,  the  ships 
began  to  pass  those  great  patches  of  floating  weed  which 
to  this  day  attract  attention  in  the  southern  seas  when 
met  with  for  the  first  time.  So  fresh  and  green  were  these 
fields  of  ocean  herbage  that  Colon  himself  concluded  that 
they  must  have  been  swept  off  the  rocks  of  some  not  distant 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  THE  SUN.  1 05 

island  only  very  recently,  and  he  was  urged  by  his  pilots  to 
change  his  course,  and  search  for  it  in  the  direction  whence 
the  weed  came ;  but  this  he  declined  to  do. 

"  It  is  not  an  island  that  we  are  seeking,"  he  answered  to 
their  representations,  "  but  the  mainland  of  Cathay ;  and  I 
know  we  have  not  gone  far  enough  as  yet  to  reach  it.  That 
there  are  many  islands  to  the  eastward  of  Asia  I  am  well 
assured,  and  some  of  these  may  now  be  near.  'T  is  folly 
to  seek  them,  however,  when  we  shall  so  soon  reach  the 
continent  itself.  Let  them  stand  for  the  present ;  on  our 
return  we  can  visit  them,  if  so  God  pleases." 

Even  the  grumblers  were  contented  with  his  argument, 
for  they  had  little  to  complain  of  just  then.  The  exquisite 
softness  of  the  tropical  air,  the  steady  flow  of  a  favoring 
breeze,  and  the  perfect  beauty  of  the  mornings  and  even 
ings  reminded  even  the  rough  sailors  of  the  loveliest  season 
in  distant  Andalusia.  The  sea  was  as  smooth,  they  said,  as 
the  bosom  of  the  Guadalquivir ;  and  to  their  fanciful  taste 
the  very  water  of  the  ocean  was  less  salt  than  that  they  were 
familiar  with.  One  day  they  hauled  on  board  some  floating 
weeds,  which  in  their  eyes  were  of  the  kind  that  grew  only 
in  the  fresh  water  of  rivers,  and  tangled  in  the  mass  they 
found  a  living  crab,  which  they  gave  their  captain,  —  per 
haps  as  a  peace-ofifering.  Around  their  ships  they  saw  play 
ing  fish  of  the  sort  which  they  had  known  at  home  ;  and  the 
"  Nina's  "  men  captured  a  tunny-fish,  —  a  kind  which  many 
a  man  on  board  had  caught  by  the  boat-load  in  the  fishing- 
grounds  off  Cadiz.  The  crews  were  quickly  filled  with  life 
and  hope,  every  fear  forgotten  as  rapidly  as  it  had  come ; 
and  each  ship  tried  to  pass  the  others  in  keen  rivalry  as  to 
which  should  first  catch  sight  of  land.  Where  two  short 
days  before  all  had  been  gloom  and  despondency,  there  was 
now  nothing  but  eagerness  and  content.  Encouraged  by  the 
spirit  of  his  men,  and  confirmed  in  his  faith  in  the  correct 
ness  of  his  course  by  the  increasing  mildness  of  the  climate 
and  the  favorable  signs  which  multiplied  on  all  sides,  Colon 
felt  assured  that  he  was  indeed  approaching  the  tropical 
seas  of  Asia. 


106       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

"  This  is  like  your  month  of  April  in  the  South  of  Spain, 
Senor  Rodrigo,"  he  remarked  to  the  inspector,  as  they 
looked  out  over  the  densely  blue  sea  on  one  of  those  per 
fect  evenings ;  "  we  only  lack  the  nightingales  to  make  us 
feel  in  Seville.  Please  God  that  all  these  happy  signs  fail 
not,  and  may  He  bring  us  soon  to  land." 

Colon  had  given  strict  commands  that  under  all  circum 
stances  the  ships  should  keep  together,  —  an  order  easy  of 
accomplishment  in  that  summer  sea.  But  on  the  i8th  of 
the  month  the  "  Pinra"  crowded  all  sail,  and  kept  far  ahead  of 
the  two  other  vessels  until  nightfall.  When  she  rejoined  them 
Martin  Alonzo  brought  her  up  close  to  the  "  Santa  Maria," 
and  shouted  to  Colon  that  a  great  flock  of  birds  had  passed 
overhead  in  the  morning,  and  he  had  felt  so  sure  that  land 
would  be  found  before  dark  that  he  had  forged  ahead.  Queen 
Isabella,  at  Colon's  personal  request,  had  offered  a  standing 
reward  consisting  of  an  annual  pension  of  ten  thousand 
maravedies  for  life  to  whomever  should  first  discover  land, 
and  the  temptation  was  great  to  keep  in  advance ;  but  the 
Captain  insisted  on  his  orders  being  obeyed.  He  himself 
had  seen  that  day  a  fog-bank  to  the  north  which  he  thought 
hung  over  land,  but  he  would  not  change  his  direction  by  a 
single  point. 

"  Keep  strictly  to  the  course,  Senor  Martin,"  he  answered 
to  the  "  Pinta's  "  hail.  "  If  we  spend  our  time  in  beating 
about  after  every  sign  of  dry  land  we  see,  we  shall  never 
reach  our  goal." 

The  very  next  day  two  pelicans  alighted  on  the  "  Santa 
Maria,"  —  genuine  shore  birds,  if  any  are,  — and  a  few  driz 
zling  showers  fell  without  any  storm  of  wind.  These  were 
considered  to  be  almost  certain  indications  of  the  near 
proximity  of  land,  but  still  Colon  would  listen  to  no  talk  of 
varying  from  his  westward  course.  The  islands  could  wait,  he 
repeated  over  and  over  again.  What  he  wanted  was  the  con 
tinent  of  Asia ;  and  that  lay  directly  ahead  of  them,  neither 
to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left.  To  compare  the  pilot's 
calculations  of  the  distance  so  far  made,  he  hailed  the  two 
other  ships  and  asked  their  logs.  Cristoval  Garcia,  pilot  of 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  THE  SUN.  IO/ 

the  "  Pinta,"  found  that  they  had  come  four  hundred  and 
twenty  leagues  from  Ferro  ;  Pero  Alonzo  Nino,  of  the  "  Santa 
Maria  "  reported  four  hundred  and  forty-seven ;  while  Sancho 
Ruiz  of  the  "  Nina  "  thought  they  had  sailed  no  more  than  four 
hundred  leagues.     Colon  noted  these  all  down  and  kept  his 
own  counsel,  relying  on  the  wide  difference  in  their  several 
statements  to  quiet  any  new  apprehension  that  might  arise 
among   the  men.     They  now  fell  in  with  a  succession  of 
calms  and  light  variable  winds  which  threw  them  a  little 
toward  the  northwest,  and  did  not  greatly  advance  their  pas 
sage.     Still  the  birds  were  coming  on  board  during  the  day 
and  flying  off,  as  night  approached,  toward  the  southwest, 
giving  clear  token  that  a  resting-place  of  some  kind   could 
not  be  far  distant.     Among  them  were  three  little  land-birds 
which  perched  in  the  rigging  and  sang  merrily  until  sunset, 
following  then  in  the  wake  of  their  larger  fellows  ;  and  this 
was  thought  to  be  the  best  of  omens.    The  surface  of  the  sea, 
too,  was  now  covered  with  so  thick  a  carpeting  of  the  weed 
they  had  met  before,  that  it  seemed  like  a  vast  meadow 
stretching  about  them  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  was 
as  green  and  smooth  as  one.    A  great  whale  came  slowly  roll 
ing  and  spouting  toward  the  ships,  forcing  his  clumsy  way 
through  the  dense  vegetation,  as  though  to  examine  what 
strange   manner  of  monsters  these   might  be   which  were 
invading  his  domain  ;  and  the  seamen  recalled  that  the  whales 
they  were  used  to  chase  in  Europe  were  found  not  far  from 
shore.     All  these  spoke  of  a  speedy  ending  to  their  tedious 
journey;  but,  with  crass  perverseness,  the  inconsistent  and 
unreasonable  among  the  crews  were  led,  by  the  very  abun 
dance  of  such  hopeful  signs  and  the  long  succession  of  per 
fect  weather  they  were  enjoying,  to  renew  their  growling  and 
fault-finding.     They  noted  that  the  wind  had  held  steadily 
favorable    to    their  westerly  course  until  now,  when  they 
seemed  to  be  approaching  a  region  of  calms.     All  the  old 
women's  yarns  about  ships  and  their  companies  floating  for 
ever  and  a  day  in  a  region  of  oily  stagnation  were  accord 
ingly  revived.     Constantly  and  ceaselessly,  by  day  and  by 
night,  the  strong  easterly  breezes  had  wafted  them  into  this 


108       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

remote  and  unknown  ocean.  Now  the  winds  were  failing 
them,  and  more  and  more  the  fleet  was  becoming  becalmed. 
With  no  wind  to  sail  with,  how  should  they  ever  get  farther 
to  the  west  ?  And  with  nothing  but  head  winds  to  the  east 
ward,  how  should  they  ever  make  their  way  back  over  that 
immense  expanse  to  the  port  from  which  they  sailed  ?  The 
least  their  leader  could  do,  they  urged,  was  to  shift  his  course 
somewhat,  and  endeavor,  by  drawing  out  of  that  region  of 
mockery  and  delusion,  to  reach  the  land  which  apparently 
lay  thereabout.  If  it  should  prove  to  be  only  an  island,  it 
would  be  better  than  flying  in  the  face  of  Providence  by 
engulfing  themselves  farther  and  farther  in  that  waveless  sea. 

Colon  saw  in  this  new  outbreak  of  discontent  a  real  and 
imminent  peril.  He  was  not  much  more  than  half-way 
across  the  distance  that  lay  between  the  Canaries  and  Asia, 
according  to  his  estimates ;  and  if  his  men  grew  mutinous 
both  at  the  wonders  and  the  beauties  of  Nature,  as  they 
seemed  inclined  to  do,  he  feared  they  might  turn  upon  him, 
and  either  compel  him  to  put  about  and  return  to  Spain, 
or  at  least  alter  his  course  and  go  on  an  idle  search  for 
their  fancied  islands.  In  either  of  these  events  his  grand 
project  would  be  ruined  and  his  hopes  turned  into  bitter 
failure. 

At  this  juncture  again  that  good  fortune  which  attended 
him  so  faithfully  upon  this  first  voyage,  and  in  which  he 
devoutly  saw  the  ever-present  hand  of  the  Almighty,  came  to 
his  aid  and  relieved  him  from  the  threatened  danger.  On  the 
22d  of  the  month  a  fresh  breeze  sprang  up  from  the  south 
west,  and  drove  them  out  of  their  course  toward  the  north. 
With  such  a  wind  the  ships  could  sail  for  home  when  it  was 
necessary,  and  the  murmurings  on  this  score  died  away. 
"  Greatly  did  I  need  this  head  wind,"  Colon  wrote  in  his 
log,  his  mind  evidently  relieved  from  a  heavy  strain,  "  be 
cause  my  people  were  growing  very  mutinous,  as  they 
believed  no  wind  ever  blew  in  these  seas  which  would  take 
them  back  to  Spain."  Only  the  next  day  the  remaining 
ground  of  their  complaint  was  swept  away  ;  for  although  the 
sea  had  only  been  ruffled  by  the  recent  breeze  and  soon 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  THE  SUN.  1 09 

settled  down  into  its  habitual  quiet,  toward  afternoon  a 
heavy  swell  set  in,  apparently  without  the  aid  of  any  wind, 
and  tossed  the  ships  about  as  if  to  take  revenge  on  the 
complainings  of  their  crews.  "  Never  since  the  day  when 
Moses  brought  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt  were 
waves  so  welcome,"  Colon  added  gratefully  in  his  journal; 
and  he  was  as  much  rejoiced  as  his  mariners  were  discom 
fited.  To  them  it  seemed  little  less  than  a  miracle  that  so 
great  a  sea  should  suddenly  arise  in  calm  weather,  without 
any  sign  of  a  corresponding  wind ;  but  their  Captain  knew 
that  it  came  from  some  heavy  gale  farther  off  in  the  ocean, 
though  this  he  was  careful  not  to  explain  at  the  moment. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  this  memorable  voyage  we  find 
no  indication  that  at  any  time  Colon  feared  even  for  a 
moment  for  his  own  safety;  nor  are  we  disposed  to  agree 
with  those  who  hold  that  his  life  was  in  constant  peril 
from  the  violence  of  his  crew.  That  his  men  were,  in 
large  part,  a  turbulent  and  ill-conditioned  set,  there  is  no 
doubt;  but  this  is  easily  understood  when  we  recall  that 
many  of  them  had  come  with  him  against  their  will,  that 
they  were  traversing  a  wholly  unknown  and  mysterious  ocean 
which  all  their  lives  they  had  been  led  to  believe  was  filled 
with  dark  and  terrible  dangers,  and  that  as  the  weeks  passed 
without  their  seeing  land  their  hopes  of  ever  finding  it  grew 
fainter  and  fainter  and  were  replaced  by  fears  lest  they 
should  never  see  their  homes  again.  The  mere  question  of 
food  and  water  was  enough  to  cause  them  to  dread  an  in 
definite  continuance  of  their  strange  expedition.  Where 
were  they  to  replenish  their  stores  if  no  land  appeared? 
What  was  to  prevent  months  and  months  from  passing  over 
their  heads  while  their  stock  of  supplies  sank  lower  and 
lower  ?  And  what  would  happen  if  they  really  lay  becalmed, 
or  were  driven  hither  and  thither  over  the  face  of  that  limit 
less  sea  ?  .  Shut  up  together  on  a  small  ship,  with  little  else 
to  do  than  talk  over  their  grievances  and  find  fault,  as  sailors 
will,  with  their  commander,  we  can  readily  understand  that 
a  spirit  of  discontent  and  insubordination  would  spring  up 
and  strengthen  on  very  little  provocation.  But  from  this  to 


I IO      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

open  mutiny  and  defiance  there  was  a  wide  gulf  to  cross, 
and  the  quickness  with  which  their  grumblings  were  fol 
lowed  by  elation  at  every  new  sign  of  hope  and  expectation 
of  reaching  shore  proves,  we  think,  that  there  was  no  deep- 
laid  scheme  to  harm  their  leader  or  put  an  end  to  his  plans 
by  outrage.  On  one  occasion,  some  three  weeks  later,  we 
shall  indeed  find  his  safety  threatened  by  some  few  of  his 
men  ;  but  we  do  not  believe  that  even  then  he  was  in  immi 
nent  danger,  and  nothing  in  his  own  writings  gives  color  to 
such  a  theory.  The  only  dread  he  ever  expresses  is  lest  he 
might  be  compelled  to  change  his  course  to  humor  his  men, 
and  thus  miss  the  goal  he  had  in  view. 

On  the  25th  of  September  the  fleet  was  again  becalmed 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  so  that  the  men  threw  them 
selves  overboard  and  swam  about  the  ships,  playing  and 
larking  as  seamen  will.  Colon  brought  the  "  Santa  Maria  " 
alongside  the  "  Pinta,"  and  held  a  consultation  with  Martin 
Alonzo  regarding  their  prospect  of  soon  reaching  the  Asiatic 
coast.  At  Pinzon's  request  he  had,  three  days  before,  sent 
to  him  the  selfsame  map  which  he  had  shown  to  Fray  An 
tonio  and  Garcia  Fernandez  at  the  convent  of  La  Rabida 
on  that  summer  evening  in  the  past  year,  and  now  he  wished 
to  know  the  results  of  Martin  Alonzo's  study  of  its  contents. 
According  to  his  own  record,  Colon  believed  that  they  had 
come  more  than  six  hundred  leagues  from  the  Canaries  ;  and 
on  this  map  he  had,  as  we  already  know,  laid  down  certain 
of  the  eastern  islands  as  lying  about  in  that  vicinity.  Keep 
ing  this  record  to  himself,  he  now  asked  his  lieutenant's 
opinion  of  their  situation,  knowing  his  skill  and  judgment  as 
a  navigator  and  having  confidence  in  his  sincerity. 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Senor  Captain,"  Pinzon  replied  to  his 
questions,  "  that  we  cannot  now  be  far  from  the  islands 
your  Worship  has  laid  down  on  this  map.  Our  course  has 
held  good  now  for  over  five  hundred  leagues  due  west;  and 
though  this  is  not  enough  to  bring  us  yet  to  the  great  island 
of  Cipango  here  drawn,  and  much  less  to  the  mainland  of 
Asia  itself,  it  may  well  be  that  all  the  tokens  of  land  we 
have  met  with  in  these  later  days  shall  point  to  the  neigh- 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  THE  SUN.  Ill 

borhood  ot  the  lesser  ones  your  Worship  has  painted  in  to 
the  east  of  that  country." 

"  There  are  we  in  accord,  Senor  Martin,"  Colon  answered, 
"  and  I  am  content  to  find  that  you  feel  so  assured.  The 
lesser  islands  I  entered  on  the  chart  are  not  laid  down  pre 
cisely,  for  we  know  not  their  distances  from  Cipango ;  but 
I  believe  they  cannot  lie  much  farther  to  the  west  than  they 
are  shown,  and  the  currents  here  may  have  thrown  us  some 
what  too  much  to  the  north.  It  may  be,  likewise,  that  we 
have  not  come  quite  so  far  as  our  pilots  think,  as  we  have 
had  many  calms  these  last  few  days,  besides  the  currents." 

"  Maybe,  your  Worship,  maybe,"  Martin  responded  rather 
doubtfully,  "but  their  reckonings  seem  to  me  to  be  right 
enough." 

Now,  Colon  knew  that  the  fleet  had  come  at  least  one 
hundred  leagues  farther  than  the  pilots  had  calculated ;  but 
it  was  doubly  important  that  even  the  smaller  distance  should 
be  thought  too  great,  first,  in  order  that  the  Pinzons  and 
other  officers  who  knew  something  of  navigation  should  not 
lose  faith  in  the  accuracy  of  the  chart  by  which  they  were 
sailing,  as  they  certainly  would  in  case  they  thought  they 
had  reached  the  longitude  of  the  islands  Colon  had  pictured 
and  did  not  find  them ;  and,  second,  that  the  men  should 
be  kept  as  long  as  possible  in  ignorance  of  the  extent  to 
which  the  voyage  was  drawing  out.  He  therefore  asked 
Martin  Alonzo  to  make  fast  a  line  to  the  chart,  and,  hauling 
it  on  board  the  flagship,  he  sat  down  with  his  own  pilots 
and  such  of  his  sailors  as  understood  the  matter,  and  dis 
cussed  with  them  their  whereabouts.  They  had  all  heard 
the  conversation  with  Pinzon ;  and  Colon,  rightly  relying  on 
the  high  opinion  they  held  of  his  lieutenant's  sagacity, 
pointed  out  the  certainty  there  was  of  reaching  the  longed- 
for  mainland  before  many  days.  The  worst  was  past,  he 
argued,  and  who  would  be  willing  to  abandon  the  reward 
after  so  long  and  arduous  a  journey  to  secure  it? 

That  very  evening,  as  the  sun  was  setting,  and,  as  so  often 
happens  at  that  hour  in  the  tropics,  the  horizon  lay  clear 
and  sharp  on  every  side  as  though  drawn  with  a  ruler  be- 


112       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA, 

tween  sea  and  sky,  Colon  and  his  commanders,  with  many 
of  their  crews,  mounted  the  high  "  castles "  built  in  the 
bows  and  sterns  of  their  vessels,  and  strained  their  eyes  to 
catch,  if  possible,  some  glimpse  of  land  against  the  western 
sky.  Suddenly  there  came  a  shout  which  drew  all  eyes 
toward  that  ship. 

"  The  prize,  Senor  Captain,  the  prize  ! "  called  out  Martin 
Alonzo.  "To  me  falls  the  reward.  Yonder  is  land,  due 
southwest  as  the  compass  shows." 

At  first  Colon  saw  nothing  of  the  discovery  reported  ;  but 
hearing  many  of  the  "  Pinta's  "  crew  shouting  out  confirma 
tion  of  their  commander's  statement,  and  the  "  Nina's  "  men 
affirming  the  same  from  the  masthead  and  yards  to  which 
they  had  swarmed  at  the  first  cry  from  the  sister-ship,  he 
watched  the  horizon  still  more  closely  until  to  his  sight,  too, 
there  seemed  to  be  a  faint,  low  blot  far  away  off  the  port 
bow. 

"  God's  blessing  rest  upon  you,  Martin  Alonzo  !  "  called 
out  Colon,  on  seeing  this.  "  Yours  is  our  sovereigns'  reward, 
but  to  Him  be  the  praise.  Let  us  give  Him  thanks." 

Then  falling  on  his  knees,  surrounded  by  his  officers  and 
crew,  he  solemnly  intoned  the  noble  chant  "  Gloria  in  Ex- 
celsis,"  followed  devoutly  by  those  around  him,  Martin  Alonzo 
and  his  brother  Vicente  Yanez  setting  a  like  example  to  the 
men  on  the  "  Pinta  "  and  the  "  Nina." 

What  a  picture  must  the  three  small  ships  have  presented 
at  that  moment,  as  they  slowly  rolled  to  the  long  swell  of 
that  lonely  ocean ;  while  the  tropical  night  closed  down 
upon  them,  and  the  soft  breath  of  the  trade-wind  carried  the 
solemn  words  of  those  rough  and  boisterous  men  out  into 
the  west  toward  the  land  they  sought ! 


f 


X. 

WHAT  THE   MOON   DISCLOSED. 

THAT  night  few  eyes  were  closed  and  few  tongues  at 
rest  on  board  the  little  squadron ;  for  no  one  doubted 
that  the  morning  would  see  the  end  of  the  wearisome  voy 
age.  The  new  country  they  were  approaching,  its  people, 
riches,  towns,  and  cities,  —  all  these  and  a  hundred  other 
speculations  furnished  an  inexhaustible  text  for  the  garrulity 
of  the  excited  mariners.  Happy  were  those  men  who  had 
made  the  cruise  to  Africa,  or  even  to  the  eastern  shores  of 
the  Mediterranean.  They  were  listened  to  by  their  less  trav 
elled  messmates  as  almost  divine  oracles,  while  they  spun  their 
yarns  about  the  strange  things  they  had  seen  and  heard  on 
those  wonderful  coasts,  of  the  wild  and  marvellous  peoples 
they  had  met,  and  of  the  treasures  which  came  from  the  still 
remoter  East.  It  is  doubtful  whether  on  the  three  vessels  a 
single  soul,  from  Colon  down  to  the  youngest  ship-boy,  had 
any  other  thought  than  that  they  were  at  last  within  touch 
of  the  fabulous  wealth  of  the  Orient. 

According  to  the  Captain's  estimate  they  were  about 
twenty  or  twenty-five  leagues  from  the  land  when  darkness 
fell  upon  them,  and  he  ordered  all  sails  set  and  the  course 
changed  from  west  to  southwest  as  night  set  in.  The  wind, 
which  had  failed  them  entirely  the  greater  part  of  the  day, 
or  only  blown  in  fitful  puffs,  now  sprang  up  strong  and  fresh, 
and  carried  them  swiftly  toward  their  destination.  When 
day  broke  they  had  nearly  covered  the  supposed  distance, 
and  all  hands  sought  some  point  of  vantage  from  which  to 

8 


114      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

catch  the  first  sight  of  the  promised  land.  No  sign  or  ves 
tige  of  it  was  to  be  seen ;  on  all  sides  spread  the  boundless 
ocean,  as  smooth  and  smiling  as  any  inland  sheet,  and  over 
its  scarce  ruffled  surface  the  morning  breeze  was  bearing 
them  cheerily  onward,  as  though  in  wanton  mockery. 
Thinking  they  might  have  steered  too  far  to  the  south, 
Colon  now  led  the  way  again  due  west  until  after  midday ;  but 
seeing  still  no  sign  of  the  land,  he  changed  the  course  once 
more  to  the  southwest,  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  vanished 
shore.  It  was  all  in  vain ;  as  the  evening  came  on,  even 
Martin  Alonzo  had  to  confess  that  they  must  have  been  de 
ceived  by  some  cloud  or  distant  haze  the  day  before,  and, 
in  the  eagerness  of  their  hopes,  taken  a  mere  shadow  for 
solid  earth. 

Great  as  was  this  disappointment,  it  did  not  affect  the 
sailors  as  unfavorably  as  Colon  had  feared.  So  many  of  them 
had  seen  that  hazy  outline  in  the  southwest,  that  they  would 
not  believe  themselves  mistaken,  and  the  conviction  grew 
up  among  them  that,  after  all,  they  would  soon  reach  land. 
No  doubt  the  fact  which  they  had  learned  the  day  before, 
that  Martin  Alonzo  and  all  the  pilots  believed  with  Colon  in 
the  existence  of  islands  thereabout,  led  them  to  argue  that 
if  they  had  missed  one  they  would  find  another ;  and  then 
the  captain  himself  had  shown  a  willingness  at  last  to  steer 
for  land  even  when  it  lay  off  that  endless  western  course. 
But  Colon  had  no  idea  of  thrashing  idly  over  the  surface 
of  the  ocean,  notwithstanding  his  momentary  deviation  ;  for 
as  soon  as  he  was  satisfied  that  they  all  had  been  mistaken 
he  headed  for  the  west,  and  maintained  steadily  that  direc 
tion  day  after  day.  For  another  week  nothing  occurred  to 
break  the  monotony  of  the  voyage ;  the  winds  were  favor 
able  and  the  sea  smooth,  so  they  made  rapid  headway. 
Now  and  then  some  land-bird  would  alight  on  the  ships,  or 
a  lumbering  pelican  swoop  down  to  rest  on  their  yards,  and 
once  a  little  flock  of  sparrows  settled  in  the  rigging;  but 
otherwise  no  new  sign  of  land  appeared.  The  sailors 
amused  themselves  with  snaring  the  birds  and  catching  dol 
phins  ;  but  in  the  absence  of  any  novelty,  the  old  complain- 


WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED,  115 

ing  spirit  revived.  On  the  zpth  a  frigate-bird  visited  the 
"  Santa  Maria,"  and  this  somewhat  encouraged  them ;  for 
the  pilots  and  other  seamen  who  had  made  the  Guinea  voy 
age  had  seen  these  birds  in  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  and 
agreed  that  every  night  they  returned  on  shore  to  sleep. 
Still  the  everlasting  monotony  of  this  summer  sailing  began 
to  tell  again  on  the  men,  and  they  growled  out  that  the  birds 
did  them  no  good,  since  the  land  they  came  from  never 
appeared. 

On  the  first  day  of  October,  Pedro  Alonzo,  the  pilot  of 
the  flagship,  came  to  Colon  in  some  perturbation,  and  showed 
him  that  according  to  the  reckoning  of  himself  and  his  col 
leagues,  the  fleet  had  sailed  now  five  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  leagues  from  the  Canaries,  and  were  in  the  very  place 
where,  according  to  the  captain's  chart,  the  islands  should 
be  found.  Colon  knew  perfectly  well  that  they  not  only  had 
come  that  far,  but  were  more  than  seven  hundred  leagues 
west  of  Ferro  ;  but  of  this  he  said  nothing  to  his  pilot,  and 
only  agreed  with  him,  as  with  Pinzon  before,  that  the  islands 
were  not  laid  down  with  exactness  and  might  be  still  more 
or  less  distant.  It  would  be  a  desperate  matter,  indeed, 
were  the  pilots  to  reject  the  guidance  of  the  chart ;  but  by 
the  3d,  Colon  himself  became  anxious  lest  they  might  have, 
in  fact,  passed  through  the  islands  he  expected  to  find,  and 
thus  his  whole  system  of  computation  be  at  fault.  For  the 
first  time  in  three  weeks  no  birds  were  seen ;  and  this  he 
feared  was  an  indication  that  the  islands  lay  astern  of  him, 
having  been  sailed  past  unperceived.  He  said  nothing  of 
this  apprehension  to  any  of  his  officers,  however,  consoling 
himself  with  the  reflection  that  even  if  they  had  missed  the 
islands  they  would  be  so  much  the  nearer  to  Asia  itself; 
but  none  the  less  was  he  perturbed  and  harassed  in  mind  as 
the  limit  he  had  marked  for  his  voyage  was  approached  with 
no  further  evidence  of  land  appearing.  Once  more  he  was 
favored  by  fortune  at  his  moment  of  discouragement ;  for  on 
the  next  day  large  flocks  of  the  smaller  land- birds  reappeared, 
as  well  as  their  old  visitors,  the  pelicans,  flying  still  into  the 
west  and  southwest,  as  though  their  nesting-place  was  there. 


Il6      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Always  keeping  directly  westward,  the  fleet  was  now  making 
more  rapid  average  progress  than  at  any  time  since  leaving 
Palos,  Colon's  observations  showing  fifty,  sixty,  and  some 
times  seventy  leagues  a  day.  Believing  firmly  that  any 
morning  they  might  now  fall  upon  land,  he  ordered  the 
smaller  vessels  to  join  the  flagship  every  evening  before  sun 
set  and  every  morning  at  sunrise,  so  that  all  might  thus 
search  the  horizon  together  in  the  clear  atmosphere  of  those 
favorable  hours  for  some  indication  of  the  expected  shores. 
They  had  now  even  passed  the  nine  hundred  leagues  where, 
according  to  his  calculation,  the  great  island  of  Cipango 
was  to  be  found,  and  were  each  day  drawing  nearer  to  the 
spot  where,  if  his  chart  were  to  be  believed,  the  continent 
of  Asia  was  to  be  met  with  ;  so  he  looked  almost  from  hour 
to  hour  for  a  glimpse  of  the  lands  "where  the  spices  grew." 
Whichever  ship  should  first  descry  land  was  to  hoist  a  flag 
to  her  mainmast-head  and  fire  a  gun  as  signal,  whereupon 
the  others  were  to  join  the  flagship  and  sail  in  company  for 
the  coast.  It  behooved  the  fleet  of  their  Majesties  of  Spain 
to  enter  the  ports  of  the  Orient  with  becoming  state  ! 

As  the  "  Pinta  "  joined  the  "  Santa  Maria  "  on  the  even 
ing  of  the  6th  of  October,  Colon  hailed  Martin  Alonzo  and 
asked  whether  he  had  any  news  for  the  day. 

"  Not  I,  Senor  Captain,"  the  other  replied,  "  save  some 
floating  sea-grass  and  a  few  vagabond  birds.  Saving  your 
wiser  judgment,  it  would  seem  to  me  that  now  were  a  pro 
per  time  to  change  our  course  and  steer  more  toward  the 
south.  We  have  already  come  more  than  eight  hundred 
leagues  to  the  west,  where  the  islands  should  be,  and  as  yet 
have  seen  no  land." 

Colon  thought  deeply  before  answering.  He  was  aware 
that  they  had  come  more  nearly  a  thousand  leagues  than 
eight  hundred,  and  knew  only  too  well  how  restive  the  sail 
ors  were  becoming  at  his  persistent  pursuit  of  the  western 
track. 

"In  good  time,  Martin  Alonzo,"  he  said  at  length,  "we 
shall  make  the  change.  Let  us  hold  our  course  a  little 
longer,  and  then  turn  southward  as  you  propose.  The  chart 


WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED.  1 1/ 

says  that  Cipango  lies  dead  ahead  of  us,  and  we  must  be 
close  to  it  now.  If  we  steer  southwest  too  soon,  we  may 
miss  both  it  and  the  mainland  too,  and  have  a  weary  jour 
ney  for  our  pains.  By  sailing  the  nearer  to  it,  we  shall  run 
the  lesser  risk." 

"  What  your  Worship  says  is  well  said  for  me,  Senor  Cap 
tain,"  Pinzon  answered  readily.  "  Whether  it  be  a  day  or  a 
year,  I  follow  your  Worship's  orders.  But  something  in  my 
heart  tells  me  we  shall  touch  the  coast  before  long." 

Colon  had  shown  his  usual  shrewdness  in  speaking  of  the 
danger  of  missing  Cipango  altogether  by  steering  off  his 
course.  The  sailors  hearing  this  felt  satisfied  that  their 
leader  knew  them  to  be  close  to  the  island,  and  were  thus 
the  more  anxious  that  he  should  do  nothing  that  might 
cause  them  to  lose  it ;  while  his  ready  promise  to  Martin 
Alonzo  to  change  his  direction  as  soon  as  it  appeared  safe 
tended  still  more  to  relieve  their  minds. 

The  next  morning  as  the  sun  was  rising,  a  gun  was  fired 
from  the  "  Nina,"  and  the  flag  run  up  to  her  masthead  gave 
notice  that  her  commander,  Vicente  Yanez,  believed  the 
land  to  be  in  sight.  Immediately  all  three  ships  crowded 
sail  and  pressed  forward  in  anxious  rivalry  to  discover  whether 
the  longed-for  shores  were  indeed  at  hand  ;  but  as  the  day 
wore  on,  the  horizon  showed  again  its  familiar  line  unbroken 
by  any  object,  and  it  became  evident  that  once  more  the 
hope  had  fathered  the  delusion,  and  they  were  once  more 
chasing  a  phantom.  This  repetition  of  their  recent  disap 
pointment  told  more  heavily  on  the  temper  of  the  crews, 
and  they  broke  out  into  fresh  complaints  and  murmurings. 
Without  doubt  this  influenced  in  some  measure  Colon's  de 
cision  to  change  his  course  without  further  postponement ; 
but  what  had  greater  weight  with  him  was  that  immense 
flocks  of  birds,  far  more  than  any  before  seen,  were  passing 
overhead  all  day,  coming  always  from  the  northward  and 
flying  as  regularly  toward  the  southwest.  Colon  reflected 
that  although  the  fleet  was  sailing  under  summer  skies  and 
through  the  balmiest  of  airs,  farther  north  cold  weather  was 
commencing  by  these  first  October  days ;  and  he  therefore 


Il8   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAAr  SEA. 

judged  that  these  unusual  flights  of  birds  were  migrating 
from  the  colder  climate  to  their  winter  quarters  in  the  ge 
nial  South.  This  was  a  shrewd  deduction,  and  was  the  di 
rect  result  of  his  study  and  observation ;  for,  as  he  unassum 
ingly  tells  us,  he  "had  noticed  that  most  of  the  islands 
which  the  Portuguese  had  discovered  had  been  shown  to  them 
by  the  birds."  So  when  the  "  Pinta  "  and  "  Nina  "  joined 
the  flagship  before  sunset  as  usual,  he  hailed  the  former  and 
told  Martin  Alonzo  of  the  conclusion  he  had  reached. 

"  In  that  am  I  of  one  mind  with  your  Worship,  Senor 
Captain,"  shouted  back  Pinzon.  "  All  this  day  have  I  been 
watching  these  birds,  and  they  are  not  holding  one  course 
without  good  cause.  If  we  follow  in  their  wake,  we  shall 
surely  come  to  where  they  are  bound." 

"  We  will  do  so,  Senor  Martin,"  Colon  answered  ;  "  and 
the  more  willingly  that  there  is  no  sign  of  the  "  Nina's  "  land 
in  the  west.  Lay  your  course  southwest  for  the  night,  and 
take  heed  that  you  and  Vicente  Yanez  keep  close  to  me- 
We  will  sail  that  way  for  a  few  days,  and  see  if  the  birds 
guide  well." 

This  order  was  received  with  delight  by  all  the  seamen  ; 
and  when  the  bows  headed  away  from  the  setting  sun  and 
the  fleet  stood  on  the  more  southerly  passage,  they  forgot 
their  fancied  grievances  and  felt  new  hopes  swell  in  their 
hearts.1 

For  several  days  smooth  seas,  blue  skies,  and  fair  winds 
still  accompanied  them,  but  yet  no  land  appeared.  The 
birds  continued  to  pass  overhead  by  day,  and  at  night  could 
be  heard  chattering  and  calling  as  they  swept  by  in  the  dark 
ness.  Some  which  alighted  on  the  vessels  were  caught  by 
the  sailors  and  found  to  be  plainly  field-birds,  of  a  kind 
which  could  not  possibly  find  rest  on  the  water.  Colon  him 
self  noticed  that  the  grasses  and  weeds  which  floated  past  his 
ship  were  singularly  fresh  and  green,  and  fancied  that  the 

1  In  recording  the  changes  made  in  the  squadron's  course,  and  the 
conversations  between  Columbus  and  Martin  Alonzo,  we  have  followed 
the  evidence  given  by  some  of  the  sailors  in  the  great  lawsuit  of  Diego 
Colon  against  the  Crown. 


WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED. 

air  was  sweet  with  the  fragrance  of  flowers,  —  as  was,  in 
deed,  quite  possible ;  for  between  the  tropics  one  can  often 
distinguish  the  perfume  of  the  forests  at  a  great  distance 
from  land.  But  after  they  had  sailed  four  days  on  their 
new  course  and  still  saw  nothing  but  sea  and  sky  where  they 
had  counted  so  surely  on  finding  earth  and  trees,  the  muti 
nous  element  among  the  flagship's  crew  burst  into  loud  and 
unrestrained  complaints.  They  could  no  longer  stand  this 
foolhardy  cruising  to  gratify  a  dreamer's  fancies,  they  de 
clared.  Westward  they  had  sailed  at  first  for  four  long 
weeks,  and  now  to  the  southwest  they  were  making  at  the 
rate  of  over  seventy  leagues  a  day ;  and  yet  nothing  met 
their  sight  but  water  and  clouds,  and  clouds  and  water.  It 
was  little  short  of  sheer  suicide  to  push  farther  on  into  that 
world  of  delusion.  The  more  crafty  among  these  discon 
tents  insinuated  also  to  their  simpler  shipmates  that  they 
were  being  sacrificed  to  satisfy  the  heartless  ambition  of  a 
foreign  adventurer;  that  Colon  was  staking  his  own  life  and 
theirs  as  well  on  a  desperate  chance :  if  he  succeeded  by 
any  miracle  in  finding  land,  he  would  be  made  a  great  lord 
and  gain  great  rewards ;  but  if  he  failed  they  all  would  pay 
for  his  madness  with  their  lives.  Had  not  this  enterprise 
been  condemned  by  all  the  learned  and  able  doctors  by 
whom  it  was  examined,  and  did  not  their  own  present  ex 
perience  confirm  all  the  objections  of  those  wise  men? 
They  had  already  sailed  infinitely  farther  than  any  seamen 
had  hitherto  dared  to  venture,  and  nothing  in  their  duty  as 
good  Spaniards  to  the  Crown,  obliged  them  to  continue  on  un 
til  they  came  to  the  end  of  the  world,  with  the  certainty  of 
eventually  perishing  staring  them  in  the  face.  These  mur- 
murings  and  menaces  which  were  at  the  beginning  confined 
to  only  a  few  of  the  crew  and  indulged  in  by  them  beneath 
their  breath,  gradually  gathered  strength  as  they  passed  from 
mouth  to  mouth,  until  a  large  part  of  the  ship's  company 
became  tainted  with  the  infection  of  disloyalty.  Seeing 
this,  the  most  desperate  of  the  would-be  mutineers  went 
a  step  farther,  and  hinted  at  the  desirability  of  "  losing  " 
their  commander.  Suppose  he  were  to  fall  overboard  dur- 


1 2O   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

ing  the  night,  while  taking  the  altitude  of  the  Polar  Star  with 
his  astrolabe?  Who  would  be  the  worse  off  for  his  dis 
appearance?  At  best  he  was  a  foreigner,  and  no  one  was 
likely  to  probe  very  deeply  to  ascertain  the  circumstances 
of  his  removal.  Few  were  willing  to  give  their  assent  to 
this  scheme,  to  their  credit  be  it  said,  although  its  facile 
practicability  was  evident  to  all.  The  great  majority  were 
content  with  the  milder  measures  proposed,  and  confined 
themselves  to  demanding  an  immediate  return  to  Spain. 
They  accordingly  sought  out  their  Captain  and  laid  their 
grievances  before  him ;  they  had  had  enough  of  this  phan 
tom-chasing,  they  now  declared,  and  boldly  required  that 
he  should  put  about  and  give  the  signal  for  home. 

Colon  was  a  kind  and  patient  commander,  thoughtful  of 
his  men,  and  both  from  consideration  and  from  policy  anx 
ious  to  humor  them  whenever  it  was  possible.  But  there  was 
one  thing  he  would  not  listen  to,  and  that  was  any  talk  of 
turning  back.  Going  forward  to  where  the  crew  were  gath 
ered,  when  apprised  of  their  demands,  he  addressed  them 
with  frankness  and  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  delicacy  of 
his  position.  He  showed  them  the  chart,  and  explained 
again  at  length  his  grounds  for  expecting  daily  and  hourly 
to  catch  a  sight  of  land,  —  if  not  of  the  mainland  of  Asia, 
at  least  of  Cipango  or  some  of  the  other  great  islands  ad 
jacent  to  it.  He  appealed  to  his  pilots  and  the  more  expe 
rienced  seamen  before  him  as  to  whether  they  had  not 
repeatedly  met  with  unfailing  signs  of  the  nearness  of  land, 
and  whether  it  was  not  merely  a  question  of  a  few  days 
more  or  less  when  they  must  surely  reach  a  coast.  Dwell 
ing  at  large  upon  the  riches  and  treasures  of  the  Indies, — 
their  rivers  with  sands  of  gold,  their  forests  of  spice-trees, 
their  wealthy  and  populous  cities,  their  stores  of  pearls  and 
precious  gems,  —  he  asked  his  men  whether  they  were  now 
willing  to  abandon  all  the  vast  reward  which  there  awaited 
them,  after  having  suffered  the  weariness  and  hardships  of 
so  long  a  voyage  to  find  them  ?  Surely,  he  added,  it  would 
be  a  wiser  and  more  sensible  proceeding  if  they  would  bear 
patiently  a  few  days  longer  with  the  tedium  and  privations 


WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED.  121 

of  their  journey,  rather  than  lose  all  this  wealth  and  plenty, 
which  were  almost  within  their  grasp,  and  face  empty- 
handed  the  long  and  perilous  voyage  back  to  Spain,  only 
to  be  jeered  and  mocked  at  when  they  reached  their  homes  at 
last.  Having  thus  patiently  and  earnestly  argued  with  his 
people  from  the  standpoint  of  their  own  well-being  and 
advantage,  Colon  now  added  a  final  word  on  his  own  ac 
count.  Drawing  himself  up  proudly  and  changing  his  tone 
of  friendly  discussion  for  one  of  command,  he  concluded  by 
saying,  — 

"  I  am  the  Captain-General  of  this  fleet  and  the  Ambas 
sador  of  our  royal  sovereigns  to  the  courts  of  Asia,  my  men. 
Under  their  Highnesses'  orders  we  set  out  for  the  Indies 
across  this  western  sea,  and  to  the  Indies  we  are  going, 
with  God's  help  and  blessing.  Look  you  to  it  that  we  have 
no  more  of  this ;  for,  grumbling  or  no  grumbling,  we  are 
going  to  find  the  land  we  have  come  so  far  to  seek."  Then, 
turning  on  his  heel,  he  walked  aft  to  his  cabin.1 

Partly  influenced  by  their  leader's  arguments  and  partly 
abashed  by  the  courage  and  determination  shown  by  him, 
the  crew  once  more  ceased  their  open  complaining.  If  it 
still  continued,  it  was  carried  on  privately  among  themselves, 
and  Colon  heard  no  more  of  it.  This  was  on  the  xoth  of 
October.  The  next  day  all  was  changed. 

On  Thursday,  the  nth  of  the  month,  they  held  still  to 
the  southwest  course,  and  ran  into  a  heavy  sea,  the  waves 
being  higher  than  any  they  had  seen  since  leaving  the  Ca 
naries.  The  land-birds  still  flew  past,  always  keeping  the 
same  direction ;  but  the  sailors  had  almost  ceased  to  heed 
them,  —  they  had  proven  false  prophets.  When  later  in  the 
day,  however,  the  "  Santa  Maria's  "  crew  saw  a  green  rush 
float  by  their  ship,  they  could  not  doubt  that  it  had  come 
from  shore.  Some  leaned  over  the  vessel's  side  eagerly 
searching  for  other  tokens,  while  more  yet  kept  a  keen  look 
out  along  the  horizon  ahead  for  the  first  faint  looming  of  the 

1  We  have  followed  both  the  diary  and  the  account  given  by  Las 
Casas  of  the  so-called  "  mutiny."  Las  Casas  apparently  wrote  from 
information  furnished  by  Columbus  himself. 


122       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA, 

land.  Before  long  the  "  Pinta's  "  men  saw  plainly  drifting  past, 
almost  within  their  reach,  a  fresh  canestalk  and  a  stick  of 
wood  ;  and  shortly  after  drew  on  board,  in  quick  succession, 
another  stalk,  a  bunch  of  weeds  which  could  only  have 
grown  on  dry  land,  and  a  bit  of  plank.  This  latter,  with  a 
second  piece  of  wood  which  seemed  to  have  been  cut  with 
some  tool,  satisfied  the  most  sceptical  that  they  were  indeed 
approaching  the  shores  of  an  inhabited  country ;  and  when, 
toward  afternoon,  the  "  Nina's  "  sailors  announced  trium 
phantly  that  they  had  seen  in  the  water  a  bough  freshly  broken 
from  a  tree  and  covered  still  with  blossoms ;  the  men  forgot 
all  past  anxieties,  and  were  filled  only  with  the  enthusiasm 
of  near  success. 

At  nightfall,  after  careful  deliberation,  Colon  decided  to 
head  west  again,  satisfied  that  the  shortest  way  to  land 
would  lie  in  that  quarter.  Pedro  Alonzo,  his  pilot,  in  view 
of  these  signs  of  close  proximity  to  shore,  had  advised  him 
to  lie  to  for  the  night,  and  not  to  sail  ahead  in  the  stiff  breeze 
that  then  was  blowing ;  but  the  other  pilots  protested  against 
such  action,  and  urged  that  the  fleet  keep  straight  on,  trust 
ing  to  their  lookouts  to  warn  them  in  time  of  any  threatened 
danger.  Mindful  of  the  excited  and  impatient  temper  of 
his  men,  Colon  inclined  to  the  latter  opinion,  and  gave  his 
orders  accordingly.  He  laid  especial  injunctions  upon  the 
two  Pinzons  to  keep  their  vessels  near  his  own  and  main 
tain  a  scrupulously  careful  watch  ahead,  and  promised  to 
whatever  sailor  should  first  sight  land  a  silken  doublet  in 
addition  to  the  royal  bounty.  Notwithstanding  these  pre 
cautions,  his  commands  were  only  partially  obeyed.  The 
wind  blew  fresh  and  the  sea  ran  high,  so  that  the  "  Pinta  "  and 
the  "  Nina,"  being  the  better  sailers,  had  a  good  excuse  for 
keeping  somewhat  in  advance  of  the  flagship,  and  did  not 
hesitate  to  make  the  most  of  it.  As  for  watching,  the 
eyes  of  every  sailor  in  the  three  ships  were  directed  over 
the  tumbling  sea  in  hopes  of  being  the  first  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  land,  both  for  the  sake  of  the  reward  and,  being 
true  mariners,  for  the  sake  of  ending  a  tiresome  cruise. 
They  had  been  deceived  by  signs  before ;  but  this  time 


WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED,  123 

they  had  seen  and  handled  the  very  fruits  of  the  earth,  and 
knew  they  had  not  come  from  far. 

The  night  should  have  been  one  of  bright  moonlight ;  but 
a  flying  scud  obscured  the  moon  at  intervals,  making  the 
lookout  all  the  more  exciting  with  its  alternations  of  light 
and  darkness.  Colon  himself  had  taken  his  station  on  the 
high  two-storied  "castle  "  which  was  built  up  in  the  stern  of 
his  ship ;  and  from  this  commanding  position  his  keen  eye 
swept  constantly  the  horizon  from  north  to  south,  anxiously 
seeking  to  discover  the  faintest  trace  of  a  coast  ahead.  At 
ten  o'clock  his  quick  sight  caught  a  glimmer  of  light  out  to 
sea,  which  almost  instantly  disappeared.  Fixing  his  eye 
on  the  quarter  where  it  had  vanished,  he  called  to  Pedro 
Gutierrez  and  Rodrigo  Sanchez,  who  were  near  by,  and  asked 
them  whether  they  could  not  see  it  as  well.  Then,  raising 
his  voice,  he  hailed  the  lookout  in  the  bows,  — 

"  Ola,  in  the  prow  there  !  See  you  not  a  light  yonder  off 
the  port  bow?" 

As  the  ship  rose  on  a  billow,  Pedro  Gutierrez  saw  the 
light  plainly,  and  so  told  the  captain ;  but  Rodrigo  Sanchez 
could  not  catch  sight  of  it  from  where  he  stood.  Up  from 
the  bows  too  came  an  answering  hail  which  left  the  matter 
still  in  doubt, — 

"  No,  Senor  Captain,  we  see  no  light  from  here." 

Once  or  twice  more,  however,  the  wavering  spark 
showed  itself  to  Colon's  intent  gaze,  and  then  sank  out  of 
sight.  A  lively  discussion  sprang  up  on  board  as  to  what 
the  light  might  be.  Some,  forgetting  they  were  not  in  Euro 
pean  waters,  held  that  it  was  a  lantern  carried  on  a  fisher 
man's  boat,  and  appearing  or  vanishing  with  the  motion  of 
the  waves.  Others  thought  it  might  be  on  one  of  the  other 
vessels  at  a  distance ;  but  this  was  voted  improbable,  for 
they  should  be  directly  ahead.  Others  still  flatly  denied 
that  there  had  been  any  light ;  they  had  not  seen  any,  and 
therefore  there  could  be  none.  But  Colon  felt  sure  that 
the  light  was  on  land,  —  a  torch  carried  in  some  one's  hand, 
or  the  gleam  of  a  fire  wavering  about,  as  his  line  of  vision 
altered,  with  the  unsteadiness  of  his  ship.  Few  inclined  to 


124      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

this  belief,  though ;  and  as  the  tiny  flame  itself  had  seemed 
so  feeble  and  uncertain,  he  did  not  feel  justified  in  changing 
the  course  for  so  doubtful  an  indication,  and  contented  him 
self  with  repeating  to  his  sailors  his  warning  to  keep  their 
eyes  well  opened.  If  the  light  was  indeed  on  shore,  they 
would  come  up  with  the  coast  at  some  other  point  soon 
enough,  he  argued. 

Sweeping  swiftly  to  the  west,  —  for  half  a  gale  was  blow 
ing,  —  the  fleet  held  on  its  way ;  the  "  Pinta  "  leading,  with 
the  "  Nina  "  next,  and  the  flagship  last  of  all.  Hour  after 
hour  went  by  without  incident  of  any  kind.  At  midnight 
the  watch  was  changed,  and  fresh  lookouts  took  the  place 
of  those  who  had  been  straining  their  eyes  so  far  in  vain  ; 
but  still  the  troubled  surface  of  the  ocean  was  all  that  met 
the  sight.  On  board  the  "  Santa  Maria "  the  silence  was 
unbroken,  except  by  the  swash  of  the  waves  against  the 
ship's  hull  and  the  low  voices  of  the  sailors  as  now  and  then 
they  muttered  some  remark  to  one  another.  Just  as  the 
watch  was  again  changing,  toward  two  o'clock,  the  clouds 
which  had  been  hiding  the  moon  blew  off,  and  the  whole 
sea  for  leagues  around  was  bathed  in  a  flood  of  clear  white 
light.  Scarcely  had  the  last  shadows  swept  over  the  rolling 
sea  when  a  brilliant  flash  of  fire  was  seen  in  the  direction  of 
the  "  Pinta,"  and  the  dull  roar  of  a  cannon  was  borne  down 
the  wind  to  the  vessels  astern.  It  was  the  signal  for  land 
in  sight ;  and  the  flagship  pressed  forward  to  join  her  fore 
most  consort.  As  her  impatient  sailors  neared  the  "  Pinta," 
they  had  no  need  to  ask  the  news  ;  for  directly  before  them, 
not  more  than  a  couple  of  miles  away,  lay  the  low  and 
rounded  summits  of  what  were  clearly  sand-hills,  while  on 
the  beach  below  a  heavy  surf  was  dashing  in  lines  of  snowy 
foam.  At  the  very  moment  the  moon  emerged  from  the 
clouds,  Juan  Rodriguez  Bermejo,  one  of  the  "  Pinta's  "  sea 
men  from  a  little  village  near  Seville,  had  seen  the  first 
beams  fall  on  the  glittering  sand  and  frothy  breakers,  and 
had  hurriedly  fired  a  gun,  with  excited  cries  of  "  The  land  ! 
the  land!"  Had  the  moon  remained  hidden  but  a  few 
minutes  longer,  there  would  have  been  a  shipwreck  to  report. 


WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED.  125 

As  it  was,  its  friendly  beams  disclosed  to  the  joyful  eyes  of 
the  little  squadron  a  world  till  then  undreamed. 

Giving  orders  to  shorten  sail  and  lie  to  for  the  few  re 
maining  hours  of  darkness,  Colon  humbly  gave  thanks  to 
the  God  in  whom  he  had  trusted  through  all  his  perils  and 
adversities,  and  waited  with  such  patience  as  he  could  sum 
mon  for  daylight  to  expose  the  nature  of  his  discovery. 

What  his  thoughts  were  on  that  memorable  night  it  would 
be  idle  to  conjecture ;  but  we  know  at  least  that  they  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  continent  we  now  miscall  America. 
We  have  the  warrant  of  his  own  words  for  supposing  that 
he  believed  those  breakers  were  beating  on  the  shores  of 
Japan,  or  of  some  neighboring  island  in  the  Asiatic  seas, 
—  perhaps  on  the  very  territories  of  the  Great  Khan  him 
self.  Thus  far  everything  had  tended  to  confirm  his  con 
viction  that  he  was  on  the  confines  of  Asia.  Long  before 
he  started  from  Spain  we  have  seen  him  arguing,  with  map 
in  hand,  that  at  seven  or  eight  hundred  leagues  west  of 
the  Canaries  he  would  find  the  easternmost  of  the  islands 
mentioned  by  Marco  Polo  and  Mandeville ;  and  in  fact  at 
that  distance  he  met  with  such  frequent  signs  of  land  that 
he  was  justified  in  supposing  himself  to  be  passing  near 
them.  At  a  thousand  leagues  from  Ferro  he  expected  to 
find  Cipango  ;  and  now  that  he  had  sailed  only  a  little  more 
than  this  distance  he  had  before  his  eyes  the  very  land  he 
sought !  Whatever  we  may  consider  his  belief,  either  as  a 
delusion,  a  mistaken  calculation,  or  a  happy  coincidence,  no 
one  can  ever  hope  by  hostile  criticism  to  diminish  the  glory 
of  this  man's  achievement.  His  voyage  was  the  outcome 
of  profound  reflection,  patient  study,  and  elaborate  mathe 
matical  computation.  He  crossed  an  ocean  since  the  be 
ginning  of  history  believed  to  be  impassable.  He  found,  as 
he  had  expected,  a  continent  where  the  intellectual  world 
of  his  tim£  maintained  that  nothing  existed  but  wildest 
chaos  or  a  stagnant  waste  of  water.  Whether  that  conti 
nent  was  Asia  or  another,  is  immaterial  in  judging  the  merit 
of  Colon's  discovery.  He  was  looking  for  land  on  the  other 
side  of  the  world,  and  there  it  was  confronting  him,  despite 


1 26   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

every  obstacle,  danger,  and  discouragement  that  could  I 
opposed  against  the  faith  and  courage  of  a  single  hums 
will. 

One  of  the  claims  advanced  by  the  relatives  and  descei 
dants  of  Martin  Alonzo  after  Colon's  death  was  that  tl 
former  was  entitled  to  the  chief  credit  of  this  discovery,  r> 
cause  he  had  induced  his  commander  to  turn  from  tl 
west  to  the  southwest  on  the  latter  days  of  their  oca 
voyage.  Had  he,  however,  kept  constantly  on  his  westwai 
course,  his  glory  would  have  been  only  the  more ;  for  h 
first  landing  would  then  have  been  on  the  mainland  of  tl 
mighty  continent  which  the  world  owed  to  his  intrep! 
perseverance.  In  more  recent  times  even  fair-minded  hi 
torians  have  not  scrupled  to  deprive  him  of  the  min< 
distinction  of  having  been  the  first  to  discover  the  lar 
he  now  had  found,  and  have  even  gone  so  far  as  to  accu: 
him  of  having  used  his  favor  with  the  Crown  after  his  retui 
from  this  successful  voyage  to  rob  poor  Juan  Bermejo  bo  I 
of  his  glory  and  his  pension,  since  to  Colon  himself  Ferd 
nand  and  Isabella  awarded  the  promised  bounty.  But  the; 
detractors  fail  to  give  due  weight  to  these  essential  facts 
First,  that  the  fleet  carried  a  royal  notary,  whose  duty  it  w; 
to  record  under  oath  every  incident  of  interest  for  the  ii 
formation  of  the  sovereigns ;  and  this  official  dared  nc 
even  under  Colon's  demand,  make  a  false  report,  whk 
would  be  denied  by  nine  men  out  of  ten  among  the  cre^ 
the  moment  their  feet  touched  Spanish  soil.  Second, 
their  decree  conferring  this  reward  upon  Colon  the  sove 
eigns  expressly  say,  "  We  are  certain  and  certified  that  DC 
Cristoval  Colon  was  the  first  who  saw  and  discovered  tho; 
islands,"  —  a  phrase  plainly  intimating  that  they  were  actir 
upon  the  evidence  before  them.  Finally,  during  the  di 
putes  which  arose  after  Colon's  death,  to  which  allusion  hi 
been  made,  the  very  witnesses  brought  forward  by  the  Pii 
zons  themselves  testified  that,  though  none  of  the  sailo 
could. see  the  light  when  Colon  hailed  them  on  this  mem< 
rable  night,  they  had  heard  him  call  out  and  ask  them  tl 
question ;  and  this  to  us  is  conclusive  that  he  did  see  i 


WHAT  THE  MOON  DISCLOSED.  12 J 

whether  they  did  or  not.  To  argue  the  contrary  is  to  en 
dow  him  with  the  gift  of  prophecy. 

As  to  what  the  light  was,  we  believe  it  to  have  been  what 
Colon  himself  supposed,  and  that  it  was  on  what  we  call  Wat- 
ting's  Island,  passed  by  the  squadron  as  they  sped  onward 
to  San  Salvador.  Since,  however,  like  Homer's  birthplace, 
there  are  no  less  than  seven  claimants  for  the  honor  of  be 
ing  the  Guanahani  of  the  discovery,  and  each  is  supported 
with  spirit  by  an  equally  competent  authority,  we  shall  do 
no  more  than  record  our  individual  opinion. 

All  these  cavillings  and  disputations  are  matters  of  no  im 
port  in  comparison  with  the  gigantic  exploit  that  was  now 
accomplished.  To  defend  the  fame  of  the  great-hearted 
sailor  who  was  watching  anxiously  for  the  light  of  day  would 
be  to  prove  the  undisputed.  The  whole  dictionary  cannot 
be  framed  into  chapter  or  book  which  shall  state  more 
truthfully  the  title  of  his  claim  to  immortality  than  the  rude 
and  well-worn  couplet  still  borne  proudly  by  his  remote 
descendants,  — 

"  On  Castile  and  on  Leon 
A  new  world  bestowed  Colon." 

Little  did  he  himself  think  that  night  of  the  ten  thousand 
maravedies  or  the  pretensions  of  any  one  to  have  influenced 
his  actions,  we  may  well  believe.  If  he  dwelt  at  all  upon 
the  benefits  which  he  should  derive  from  his  present  dis 
covery,  it  is  more  reasonable  to  suppose  that  his  one  idea 
was  that  that  patch  of  sand  and  broken  water  had  made 
him  Grandee  of  Spain  and  Admiral  of  Castile.1 

1  For  a  discussion  of  the  justice  of  Columbus's  claim  to  be  the  first 
to  see  land,  see  Note  I  in  the  Appendix.  The  identity  of  Guanahani 
with  the  modern  San  Salvador,  or  Cat  Island,  is,  we  believe,  established 
by  the  facts  recorded  in  Note  J. 


XI. 

UNDER  THE   BANNER   OF   THE  GREEN   CROSS. 

THE  morning  light  of  Friday,  the  i2th  of  October,  in 
the  year  of  Grace  one  thousand  four  hundred  and 
ninety-two,  disclosed  to  the  eager  eyes  of  Colon  and  his 
companions  a  sight  which  made  more  than  one  of  them  be 
lieve  they  had  reached  the  borders  of  the  earthly  Paradise 
of  Holy  Writ.  Before  them  stretched  the  low  but  not 
monotonous  coast  of  what  was  clearly  an  island  surrounded 
by  a  sea  of  brightest  emerald,  whose  long  and  regular  lines 
of  surf  crashed  down  with  sullen  roar  upon  sloping  beaches 
of  snow-white  sand,  throwing  high  in  air  great  jets  of  daz 
zling  foam.  Beyond  the  sands  a  low  growth  of  underbrush 
led  up  to  the  dense  tangle  of  trees  and  vines  which  covered 
the  land  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see,  broken  here  and  there 
by  a  clearing,  which  from  the  ships  seemed  carpeted  with 
velvet  turf.  The  level  rays  of  the  eastern  sun  were  reflected 
from  the  glittering  surfaces  of  a  million  polished  leaves  or 
lost  in  the  cool  recesses  of  the  shady  woods.  Along  the 
outskirts  of  the  forest  or  rising  above  its  undulating  line  of 
swelling  tree-tops,  the  feathery  plumes  of  countless  graceful 
palms  were  tossing  restlessly  in  the  cool  sea-breeze.  The 
fresh  air  of  those  morning  hours  was  clear  as  crystal ;  and 
each  object  on  shore  stood  out  sharp  and  distinct,  as  if  in 
miniature.  About  the  ships  delicate  flying-fish  skimmed 
lightly  from  wave  to  wave,  and  the  tiny  barks  of  purple 
nautili  balanced  slowly  past ;  while  in  the  clear  depths  of 
the  sea  beneath  them  their  crews  caught  glimpses  of  rain- 


UNDER    THE  BANNER  OF  THE   GREEN  CROSS.      1 29 

bow-colored  fishes  and  beds  of  many-hued  ocean  plants. 
To  the  jaded  sight  of  the  rugged  sailors,  wearied  with  the 
dense  blue  gleaming  of  the  thousand  leagues  of  tropical 
seas  over  which  they  had  come  and  the  turquoise  sky 
at  which  they  had  gazed  so  steadily,  all  this  varied  light 
and  motion  spoke  of  rest  and  keen  enjoyment.  To  their 
commander  it  spoke  of  destiny  fulfilled  and  duty  yet 
to  do. 

Colon  was  no  longer  a  Genoese  adventurer  in  the  service 
of  Spain,  with  the  temporary  office  of  Captain-general  of  a 
Spanish  fleet ;  he  was  their  Catholic  Majesties'  High  Admiral 
of  the  Western  Seas  and  Viceroy  and  Governor  of  all  the 
continents  and  islands  which  might  lie  therein,  —  so  at  least 
read  the  royal  commission  lying  there  within  the  strong 
box  in  his  cabin,  and  Colon  was  a  man  tenacious  of  his 
rights.  No  more  modest  mortal  ever  drew  the  breath  of 
life ;  but  he  had  devoted  his  manhood  to  this  work,  it 
had  been  successful,  and  he  rightly  judged  that  he  was 
entitled  to  the  very  last  honor  and  advantage  which  had 
been  promised  him  for  his  reward.  Had  he  failed,  would 
he  have  been  spared  the  very  last  word  of  derision  and 
contempt  ? 

He  gave  orders  now  that  all  should  make  ready  for  the 
solemn  ceremony  of  taking  possession  of  the  new-found 
territory  for  the  Spanish  Crown,  and  himself  put  on  a  gor 
geous  uniform  of  scarlet  velvet  and  silk  becoming  his 
new  rank.  Accompanied  by  the  royal  officers,  —  Rodrigo 
Sanchez,  Rodrigo  Escovedo,  Pedro  Gutierrez,  and  Diego 
de  Arana,  —  with  his  pilots  and  other  principal  mariners, 
Colon  entered  the  large  boat  of  the  flagship,  and  was  rowed 
toward  a  point  on  shore  where  an  inlet  allowed  an  easy  pas 
sage  through  the  surf.  Behind  him  followed  the  boats  from 
the  "  Pinta  "  and  "  Nina,"  with  Martin  Alonzo  and  Vicente 
Yanez  in  their  respective  crafts,  surrounded  by  their  pilots 
and  chief  sailors,  all  in  holiday  attire.  Standing  in  the  stern 
of  his  own  barge,  Colon  himself  carried  the  royal  standard  of 
Castile ;  while  his  two  lieutenants  each  bore  the  ensign 
of  the  expedition,  —  a  white  banner  embroidered  with  a 

9 


130      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

large  green  cross,1  having  the  initials  of  the  sovereigns  at 
either  extremity  of  the  arms,  with  a  royal  crown  above  each 
letter.  As  the  keel  of  his  boat  grated  on  the  white  coral 
sand  of  the  beach,  Colon  leaped  ashore,  and  throwing  him 
self  upon  his  knees,  kissed  the  ground,  and  gave  thanks  to 
Almighty  God  for  the  measureless  blessing  that  had  been 
vouchsafed  him.  Quickly  following  their  leader's  example, 
his  escort  landed  and  knelt  in  prayer  before  they  grouped 
themselves  around  him.  Drawing  his  sword  from  its  sheath 
and  unfurling  the  flag  he  bore,  he  called  upon  his  lieuten 
ants,  the  royal  officers,  and  all  others  present  to  bear  witness 
that  he  took  possession  of  that  land  and  of  all  other  conti 
nents  and  islands  thereto  adjacent  for  the  Crowns  of  Castile 
and  Aragon  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity.  Taking  up  a 
handful  of  earth  and  breaking  a  branch  off  a  shrub  near  by, 
he  declared  that  the  land  and  all  it  held  were  now  part  of 
the  dominions  of  their  Catholic  Majesties,  christening  it  San 
Salvador,  after  Our  Saviour,  under  whose  especial  protection 
he  had  placed  his  ships  in  setting  sail  from  Palos.  Having 
thus  complied  with  the  political  requirements  of  his  discov 
ery,  he  reverently  bared  his  head,  and  offered  up  in  Latin 
this  short  prayer  :  — 

"  O  Eternal  and  Omnipotent  God,  by  Thy  sacred  word 
didst  Thou  create  earth  and  sky  and  sea.  May  Thy 
name  be  blessed  and  glorified  and  Thy  Majesty  be  praised 
that  at  the  hands  of  Thy  humble  servant  it  has  been  per 
mitted  that  Thy  Holy  Name  should  be  known  and  preached 
throughout  this  other  part  of  the  world." 

Then  handing  to  Rodrigo  Escovedo,  as  notary  of  the  fleet, 
their  Majesties'  commission,  Colon  stood  proudly  leaning 
on  the  royal  standard  while  that  document  was  read.  After 
setting  forth  the  many  titles  and  dignities  of  the  Spanish 

1  It  is  worth  noting,  as  probably  more  than  a  coincidence,  that 
the  green  cross  was  a  chosen  emblem  of  the  Holy  Office  of  the 
Inquisition,  and  as  such  was  a  notable  feature  in  all  autos  daft. 
Its  use  by  Columbus  would  seem  to  be  connected  with  his  favor 
ite  idea  that  his  enterprise  was  in  the  nature  of  a  crusade  against 
Heathendom. 


UNDER   THE  BANNER  OF  THE  GREEN  CROSS.     131 

sovereigns,  which  formed  the  preface  of  all  official  acts,  the 
notary  continued  :  — 

"  Inasmuch  as  you,  Cristoval  Colon,  are  setting  out  by  Our 
command,  with  certain  of  Our  ships  and  people,  to  discover  and 
acquire  divers  islands  and  mainlands  in  the  Ocean  Sea,  and  We 
hope  that  by  the  help  of  God  some  of  the  said  islands  and  main 
lands  shall  by  your  efforts  and  diligence  be  discovered  and  won ; 
and,  since  you  put  yourself  into  this  peril  upon  Our  service,  it  is 
just  that  you  should  be  for  it  rewarded,  and  We  accordingly  de 
sire  to  honor  and  distinguish  you  for  such  service ;  it  is  Our 
grace  and  will  that  you,  the  said  Cristoval  Colon,  as  soon  as 
you  shall  have  discovered  the  said  islands  and  mainlands  in 
the  Ocean  Sea,  or  any  one  of  them,  shall  be  Our  Admiral  and 
Viceroy  and  Governor  in  them ;  and  that  you  shall  always  there 
after  call  and  entitle  yourself  Don  Cristoval  Colon,  and  that  your 
sons  and  successors  in  the  said  office  and  rank  shall  call  themselves 
Don,  and  Admiral,  and  Viceroy  and  Governor  of  the  same." 

Rodrigo  Sanchez  then  went  on  to  read  the  privileges  and 
duties  attached  to  the  high  position  thus  created,  and  the 
formal  notices  to  all  authorities  and  dignitaries  throughout 
the  Spanish  dominions  that  they  should  recognize  and 
respect  Colon  in  his  new  capacity.  He  continued  :  — 

"  And  We  also  command  all  captains,  masters,  mates,  officers, 
seamen,  and  seafaring  men  in  general,  Our  subjects  and  people, 
who  now  are,  or  who  ever  shall  be,  and  each  and  every  one  of 
them,  that  whenever  the  said  islands  and  mainlands  shall  have 
been  discovered  and  won  by  you  in  the  Ocean  Sea,  and  you, 
or  whoever  you  appoint,  shall  have  taken  the  oath  and  per 
formed  the  ceremonies  appointed  for  such  cases,  they  shall  re 
ceive  and  obey  you  for  all  your  lifetime,  and  after  you  your  sons 
and  successors  from  successor  to  successor  for  ever  and  ever,  as 
Our  Admiral  of  the  Ocean  Sea1  and  Viceroy  and  Governor  in 
the  said  islands  and  mainlands  which  you  shall  discover  and 
acquire." 

Then  followed  the  penalties  incurred  by  whomever  should 
fail  to  observe  the  respect  and  authority  to  which  the  new 
grandee  was  entitled. 

1  We  have  taken  the  title  of  our  narrative  from  this  official  designa 
tion  of  Columbus's  rank.  The  "Ocean  Sea  "  was  the  term  given  to 
the  Atlantic,  as  distinguished  from  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 


132       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

"  Given  in  Our  city  of  Granada,  on  the  3Oth  day  of  the  month 
of  April  in  the  year  of  the  Birth  of  Our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  one 
thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety-two," 

concluded  the  notary. 

"  I,  the  King  !  "  he  added,  bowing  his  head  at  the  mighty 
names ;  "  I,  the  Queen  !  " 

Many  a  man  of  those  who  now  stood  listening  to  the 
proclamation  of  their  Majesties'  Viceroy  had  been  in  the 
crowded  congregation  which  had  filled  St.  George's 
Church  only  a  few  months  before,  in  that  little  seaport 
town  away  on  the  other  side  of  the  world,  when  another 
notary  had  read  certain  other  royal  decrees  commanding 
his  hearers  to  join  the  unknown  stranger  who  stood  in  their 
midst,  and  sail  under  his  leadership  on  what  they  had  all 
believed  was  a  mad  and  desperate  undertaking.  Those  de 
crees,  like  this  one  they  were  hearing,  were  dated  on  the 
3Oth  of  April,  and  like  this  one  were  written  in  the  newly 
conquered  capital  of  the  Moors ;  but  in  the  circumstances 
of  their  publication  there  was  a  difference  as  wide  as  the 
ocean  which  rolled  between  Palos  and  the  sea-girt  island 
where  now  they  stood.  The  reckless  adventurer  of  April 
was  the  Viceroy  of  the  Indies  to-day ;  the  tall,  blue-eyed 
foreign  sailor,  with  his  odd  Italian  accent,  at  whom  they  had 
laughed  in  the  Andalusian  town,  and  sworn  at  in  the  fore 
castle  of  the  "  Santa  Maria,"  held  now  their  lives  in  his 
hand  and  represented  the  sovereigns  of  Spain  !  Even  the 
roughest  sailor  present,  as  he  stood  in  the  shade  of  those 
strange  trees  and  looked  past  that  stately  form  in  scarlet 
across  the  beach  to  the  distant  horizon  beyond  the  idle 
ships,  must  have  felt  the  contrast,  and  wished  himself  any 
where  else  than  so  near  this  unexpected  Admiral. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  notary's  reading  Colon  took 
before  him  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Crown  on  his  acces 
sion  to  these  dignities,  and  then  his  own  officers  and  those 
of  the  sovereigns  swore  in  turn  to  obey  him  as  their  mon- 
archs'  lieutenant.  As  for  the  lesser  fry,  they  acted  no  doubt 
according  to  their  natures ;  some  humbly  begging  his  par 
don  for  past  offences,  and  others  holding  aloof  and  taking 


UNDER  THE  BANNER  OF  THE  GREEN  CROSS.      133 

their  chances  of  the  Admiral's  humor.  But  Colon,  the 
formalities  concluded,  turned  his  attention  to  another  class 
of  spectators  who  had  been  silent  and  awestruck  witnesses 
of  these  portentous  ceremonies. 

Even  from  aboard  the  squadron,  as  soon  as  the  sun  had 
risen,  it  had  been  evident  that  the  new  land  was  inhabited ; 
for  human  forms  were  seen  emerging  from  the  edge  of  the 
forest  and,  after  gazing  at  the  ships,  running  back  to  its 
friendly  shelter.  At  such  a  distance  from  shore  it  was 
impossible  to  distinguish  what  manner  of  people  the  natives 
were;  and  when  the  boats  landed  they  found  no  sign  of 
human  life  beyond  a  few  footprints  in  the  sand.  As  the 
rite  of  taking  possession  of  the  territory  and  the  reading 
of  the  royal  proclamation  proceeded,  however,  the  Spaniards 
observed  a  number  of  natives  watching  them  closely  from 
behind  the  trees  and  bushes.  Seeing  that  they  carried  no 
weapons  of  any  kind,  the  Admiral  (as  we  must  now  call  him 
in  obedience  to  the  royal  mandate)  ordered  his  men  to  pay 
no  heed  to  them,  but  allow  them  to  approach  as  nearly  as 
they  wished.  Little  by  little  the  natives  drew  closer  to  the 
marvellous  beings  who  had  so  suddenly  visited  their  shores, 
lost  in  amazement  at  the  brilliant  colors  of  their  brave 
apparel,  the  fluttering  glory  of  their  silken  flags,  and  the 
blinding  splendor  of  their  burnished  armor.  Noticing  that 
the  islanders  wore  no  clothing  and  judging  them  thereby  to 
be  savages,  the  Admiral  held  out  some  of  the  trinkets  and 
baubles  of  which  he  had  brought  a  quantity,  taught  by  his 
African  experience  of  the  value  of  such  trifles  among  un 
civilized  races.  After  a  while  a  few  of  the  bolder  spirits  came 
forward  and  took  up  the  gifts  which  had  been  left  for  them 
on  the  ground.  Seeing  no  harm  happen  to  their  companions, 
the  others  gradually  advanced,  so  that  the  Spaniards  were 
soon  surrounded  by  a  curious  and  astonished  throng.  Satis 
fied  of  their  peaceable  disposition,  the  Admiral  now  led  the 
way  into  the  woods  in  search  of  the  town  or  settlement  from 
which  he  supposed  the  islanders  had  come.  Some  of  his 
party  accompanied  him,  while  others  remained  behind  to 
rear  on  the  beach  the  wooden  cross  which  at  this  and  every 


134   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

subsequent  landing-place  the  Spaniards  raised  with  super 
stitious  piety.  The  Admiral  gave  the  strictest  orders  against 
the  slightest  sign  of  violence  or  offence  being  shown  by  his 
people  to  the  natives,  and  even  prohibited  them  from  ac 
cepting  the  little  tributes  which  the  savages  timidly  proffered 
to  the  strangers  in  the  apparent  belief  that  they  were  divine 
beings.  Happily  his  wise  policy  was  respected,  and  the 
rude  mariners  and  men-at-arms  were  bewildered  at  finding 
themselves  the  objects  of  humble  adoration  while  they  raised 
the  emblem  of  their  own  faith. 

The  Admiral  and  his  escort  wandered  on,  as  deeply  lost  in 
admiration  at  what  they  saw  as  were  the  savages  who  fol 
lowed  them  at  the  appearance  of  their  miraculous  visitors. 
The  trees  were  strange  in  foliage,  flower,  fruit,  and  bark. 
Between  the  joints  made  by  bough  and  trunk  sprang  great 
bunches  of  gorgeously  colored  blossoms  or  hung  huge  sprays 
of  waving  green.  Trees  as  tall  as  the  oaks  of  Spain  were 
covered  to  the  tips  of  their  farthest  branches  with  masses  of 
delicate  bloom ;  while  from  the  very  bark  of  others  tiny 
pink  and  scarlet  blossoms  grew  like  thorns  on  the  bushes  at 
home.  At  every  footstep  they  crushed  down  some  grass  or 
weed  or  fern  unlike  any  they  had  ever  seen  before.  Over 
head  the  tree-tops  met  in  a  sun-proof  roof,  each  bound  to 
its  neighbor  by  an  endless  rope  of  festooned  vines.  Now 
and  again  a  stray  sunbeam  lighted  up  the  green  and  red 
of  some  brightly  plumaged  bird  as  it  started  at  the  tread  of 
the  new-comers,  and  in  the  cool  gray  shade  of  the  darkest 
corners  flashed  the  painted  wings  of  gaudy  butterflies.  Odd 
insects  scuttled  out  of  the  way  as  the  Spaniards  pursued  their 
path ;  and  more  than  one  hardy  seaman  crossed  himself  in 
mortal  terror  at  the  sight  of  some  hideous  reptile  which  he 
thought  must  have  come  from  the  nether  gulfs.  It  was  a 
land  of  marvel  and  enchantment  to  even  the  more  intelli 
gent  of  the  party,  and  those  of  lesser  knowledge  were  ready 
to  see  in  every  novelty  the  impress  of  a  magic  hand. 

The  Admiral  tried  to  gather,  by  the  use  of  signs,  from  the 
natives  who  accompanied  him  some  knowledge  of  a  neigh 
boring  city,  or  their  ruler's  Court ;  but  little  progress  could 


UNDER   THE  BANNER  OF  THE  GREEN  CROSS.     135 

be  made  in  such  a  language.  After  he  had  explored  the 
vicinity  of  the  landing-place  without  discovering  any  habi 
tations,  he  turned  his  steps  again  toward  the  boats,  not 
caring  to  venture  unprepared  too  far  into  a  country  offering 
such  admirable  opportunities  for  fatal  ambuscades.  Making 
some  additional  presents  to  the  savages  and  trying  to  con 
vince  them  by  signs  of  his  benevolent  intentions,  he  gave  the 
order  to  row  along  shore,  and  the  boats  coasted  for  some 
distance  before  putting  back  to  the  vessels  in  the  offing. 
What  happened  later  in  the  afternoon,  and  what  were  his 
impressions  regarding  the  day's  experiences  in  so  strange  a 
world,  we  can  best  gather  from  the  entry  made  in  his  journal 
before  the  eventful  twenty-four  hours  had  reached  their 
close.  The  Admiral  wrote  that  evening  :  — 

"  I  have  given  to  some  of  these  people  brightly  colored  caps 
and  necklaces  of  glass  beads  to  wear,  so  that  they  shall  have  the 
greater  friendship  towards  us ,  for  I  know  that  it  will  be  easier 
to  influence  them  and  convert  them  to  our  Holy  Faith  by  gentle 
means  rather  than  by  force.  Other  trifles  of  little  value,  too,  I 
gave  them,  and  they  became  so  much  attached  to  us  that  it  was 
a  marvel.  After  we  had  left  the  shore  they  swam  out  to  the 
boats  where  we  were,  and  brought  us  parrots  and  balls  of  cotton 
thread  and  javelins,  with  many  other  things,  which  they  ex 
changed  with  us  for  what  we  had,  such  as  beads  and  hawk-bells. 
Indeed,  they  would  take  anything  we  offered  and  give  whatever 
they  possessed  in  return  with  the  greatest  readiness.  But  it 
seems  to  me  that  they  are  a  people  very  poor  in  everything. 
They  wear  no  more  clothes  than  on  the  day  they  were  born,  and 
all  those  I  saw  were  young  men  not  more  than  thirty  years  old. 
They  are  well  proportioned,  with  very  handsome  figures  and 
good  faces.  Their  hair  is  as  coarse  as  that  in  a  horse's  tail,  and 
is  worn  short.  They  wear  it  down  over  their  eyebrows,  except 
a  few  long  locks  which  hang  behind  and  are  never  cut.  Some 
of  them  were  painted  black,  while  others  are  of  the  same  color 
as  the  Canary  Islanders,  neither  black  nor  white.  Others  again 
paint  themselves  all  white,  others  all  red,  others  still  of  any 
color  they  can  find.  Some  paint  only  their  faces,  others  the 
whole  body ;  some  around  the  eyes  only,  and  others  their  noses 
alone.  They  carry  no  weapons,  and  know  nothing  about  them ; 
for  I  showed  them  a  sword  and  they  took  hold  of  it  by  the  edge 
and  cut  themselves,  not  knowing  what  it  was.  They  have  no 


1 36      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

iron  at  all;  their  javelins  are  merely  long  sticks  without  any 
head ;  some  with  a  fish's  tooth  at  the  end  and  others  with  some 
thing  else.  They  are  all,  in  general,  of  a  good  height,  easy  in 
their  actions  and  well  made.  They  have  the  forehead  and  the 
head  very  wide,  more  so  than  any  nation  I  have  ever  seen,  and 
the  eyes  very  beautiful  and  not  small.  I  noticed  several  who 
had  the  scars  of  wounds  on  their  bodies,  and  asked  them  by 
signs  what  they  were ;  and  they  showed  me  how  people  came 
there  from  the  other  islands  which  are  near,  and  tried  to  capture 
them,  and  they  defended  themselves.  And  I  believed  when  I 
heard  it,  and  still  think,  that  those  people  come  here  from  the 
mainland  and  try  to  take  them  captive.  They  would  make  good 
laborers  and  seem  to  have  a  good  disposition,  because  I  observe 
that  they  quickly  repeat  whatever  is  said  to  them;  and  I  think 
they  could  easily  be  made  good  Christians,  for  they  do  not  seem 
to  have  any  religion.  If  it  pleases  God,  I  shall  take  with  me 
from  here  when  I  leave  half-a-dozen  of  them  for  your  Majesties, 
in  order  that  they  may  learn  to  speak  our  language.  Not  a  sin 
gle  animal  did  I  see  of  any  kind  on  this  island  except  parrots." 

Such  is  Columbus's  own  record  of  the  first  day  he  passed 
in  the  New  World,  as  he  wrote  it  in  the  diary  he  kept  for 
the  perusal  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak  the  beach  was  thronged 
with  the  copper-colored  natives,  all  staring  at  the  ships  and 
making  frantic  gestures  for  the  strangers  to  come  on  shore. 
The  Admiral,  however,  decided  that  he  would  not  land  at 
all  this  day,  but  remain  on  board  and  get  things  in  readi 
ness  for  beginning  the  work  of  systematic  exploration  of 
the  new  country.  He  was  sure  that  he  had  not  yet  reached 
Japan,  —  or  Cipango,  as  he  called  it,  —  nor  the  territory  of  the 
Great  Khan,  and  assumed  that  San  Salvador  was  only  one 
of  the  lesser  islands  in  the  Asiatic  seas,  since  the  inhabitants 
showed  no  sign  of  the  wealth  and  power  which  Marco  Polo  had 
ascribed  to  the  people  of  those  more  important  countries. 
He  proposed,  therefore,  to  examine  the  island,  and  then  sail 
away  in  search  of  the  great  heathen  kingdoms  to  which  he 
was  accredited  as  ambassador,  and  which  he  was  now  satisfied 
lay  close  at  hand.  As  soon  as  the  islanders  saw  that  the  Span 
iards  did  not  leave  their  ships,  they  determined  to  go  out  to 
the  fleet  themselves,  and  accordingly  went  for  their  canoes, 


UNDER   THE  BANNER   OF  THE   GREEN  CROSS.    137 

as  the  distance  was  too  great  to  swim.     The  Admiral  wrote 
that  evening  in  his  journal :  — 

"  They  came  out  to  the  ships  in  a  kind  of  small  craft  like  a 
ship's  long-boat,  made  out  of  the  trunk  of  a  single  tree  and  all 
of  one  piece,  wonderfully  fashioned  after  the  manner  of  these 
people.  They  are  so  large  that  some  of  them  held  forty  or 
forty-five  men ;  while  others  were  smaller,  and  some  only  con 
tained  a  single  man.  They  row  with  a  flat  board  like  a  baker's 
shovel,  and  move  with  extraordinary  swiftness.  If  one  of 
them  is  upset  in  the  surf,  all  on  board  set  themselves  to  swim 
ming,  turning  the  boat  right  side  up  and  bailing  her  out 
with  the  gourds  they  carry  with  them.  They  brought  out  to  us 
balls  of  cotton  yarn,  and  parrots,  and  javelins,  and  other  trifles 
of  no  value  which  it  would  take  too  long  to  write  out,  and  they 
would  trade  all  they  had  for  whatever  we  chose  to  give  them. 
For  my  part,  I  was  watching  them  narrowly,  trying  to  find  out 
whether  they  had  any  gold,  and  I  noticed  that  some  of  them 
wore  small  pieces  of  it  fastened  in  holes  bored  through  their 
noses.  From  their  signs  I  understood  that  by  going  to  the  south 
or  by  sailing  to  the  southern  end  of  the  island,  I  should  find  a 
king  who  had  large  vases  made  of  it  and  a  very  great  deal.  I 
tried  to  get  them  to  show  me  the  way,  but  afterwards  discovered 
that  they  did  not  know  how  to  go  there.  So  I  have  decided  to 
wait  until  to-morrow  afternoon  and  then  set  sail  toward  the 
southwest ;  for  according  to  the  signs  many  of  them  made  to  me, 
they  meant  to  say  that  there  was  land  to  the  south  and  to  the 
southwest  and  to  the  northwest.  It  seems,  also,  that  the  peo 
ple  living  in  the  northwest  come  often  to  fight  with  the  people 
of  this  island,  and  then  go  towards  the  southwest  in  search  of 
gold  and  precious  stones. 

"  This  island  of  San  Salvador  is  a  large  one  and  perfectly 
level,  and  is  full  of  very  green  trees  and  many  springs.  It  has 
no  mountain  at  all  on  it,  and  in  its  centre  is  a  wide  lake  which  it 
is  a  delight  to  look  upon.  The  natives  are  exceedingly  peace 
able,  and  are  so  anxious  to  have  something  belonging  to  us  that 
when  they  have  nothing  to  give  in  exchange  they  are  afraid  we 
will  not  give  them  anything,  and  so  they  pick  up  whatever  they 
can  lay  their  hands  on  and  plunge  overboard  to  swim  to  their 
canoes.  But  when  they  have  anything  they  will  give  it  all  for 
whatever  we  offer  them  ;  even  taking  pieces  of  broken  crockery 
and  fragments  of  glassware  in  payment.  I  have  seen  them  give 
sixteen  balls  of  cotton  yarn  for  three  Portuguese  farthings,  which 
only  amount  to  a  Spanish  blanca,  and  some  of  the  cotton  balls 


138       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

weighed  more  than  twenty-five  pounds  apiece.  I  put  a  stop  to 
this  traffic,  though,  and  would  not  let  my  men  take  any  more 
from  them ;  but  gave  orders  that  if  there  was  much  cotton  it 
should  all  be  gathered  together  and  bought  for  the  Crown.  It 
grows  wild  in  this  island  ;  but  for  want  of  time  I  have  not  been 
able  to  learn  all  about  it  that  I  should  wish.  I  am  sure  that  the 
gold  which  they  wear  in  their  noses  is  found  here  too ;  but  in  or 
der  to  lose  no  more  time,  I  intend  to  leave  here  at  once  and  see 
if  I  cannot  find  the  island  of  Cipango. 

"  Now  that  night  is  coming  on,  all  the  natives  have  gone  on 
shore  in  their  boats." 

It  is  interesting  to  learn  from  these  notes  which  the  great 
discoverer  wrote  at  the  close  of  the  day's  labor  and  excite 
ment,  how  intimately  the  two  great  motives  which  actuated 
him  were  associated  in  his  mind.  On  the  very  first  day  he 
remarks  that  the  natives  are  so  friendly  and  simple-minded 
that  he  believes  they  can  easily  be  converted  to  Christianity ; 
and  on  the  next  we  find  him  scanning  closely  the  same  peo 
ple  as  they  come  on  board  his  ship  to  see  if  he  cannot  dis 
cover  some  token  of  gold  or  gems.  To  bring  the  heathen 
of  Asia  to  a  knowledge  of  the  True  Faith  (under  the  domin 
ion  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns)  and  to  gather  together  the 
wealth  of  the  Indies  for  the  conquest  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre, 
—  these  were  the  objects  ever  before  the  sanguine  mind  of 
Columbus  to  his  dying  day.  In  this  first  flush  of  enthusias 
tic  anticipations  he  scarcely  heeded  the  products  of  the 
earth  which  the  simple  islanders  offered  as  their  choicest 
gifts,  and  to  his  careless  eye  the  parcels  of  "  dried  leaves  " 
which  they  repeatedly  pressed  upon  the  Spaniards  were 
nothing  but  "trifles  of  no  value."  Yet  in  after  times  the 
tobacco  of  the  West  Indies  brought  a  far  greater  revenue 
to  Spain  and  her  colonies  than  would  the  mines  of  Gol- 
conda  itself  had  they  fallen  to  her  lot.  The  gifts  the  gods 
provide  are  not  always  those  we  have  in  view. 

Confident  that  San  Salvador  was  not  in  itself  important 
enough  to  waste  much  time  over,  at  least  at  the  beginning 
of  his  discoveries,  he  was  impatient  to  go  on  to  China  and 
Japan,  the  Cathay  and  Cipango  which  he  was  so  firmly  per 
suaded  lay  within  those  seas.  When  the  natives  pointed  to 


UNDER   THE  BANNER   OF  THE   GREEN  CROSS.     139 

the  southwest  and  northwest,  he  fancied  they  were  indicating 
the  whereabouts  of  the  kingdoms  he  was  seeking,  and  instantly 
determined  to  hasten  thither.  But  whoever  has  tried  to  carry 
on  a  conversation  with  savages  by  means  of  signs,  will  have 
learned  what  very  doubtful  guides  they  are ;  and  in  the  Ad 
miral's  case  his  wishes  proved  ill  interpreters.  The  island 
ers  could  not  possibly  have  any  idea  of  what  was  passing  in 
his  mind,  nor  he  any  better  knowledge  of  what  they  meant 
when  they  pointed  in  this  direction  and  in  that ;  led  away 
by  his  eager  expectations,  he  supposed  that  both  he  and 
they  were  thinking  of  the  same  great  realms,  and  so  un 
hesitatingly  prepared  to  follow  the  lead  they  all  uncon 
sciously  had  given  him. 


XII. 
AMONG   THE    ISLES    OF   IND. 

BEFORE  leaving  San  Salvador,  —  or  Guanahanf,  as  he 
learned  that  the  natives  called  it,  —  the  Admiral  deter 
mined  to  make  a  reconnoissance  along  the  coast,  to  discover 
if  possible  the  tpwn  where  the  islanders  lived,  and  make  ac 
quaintance  with  their  chief  or  ruler.  As  soon  as  it  was  light 
enough  on  the  following  morning,  the  i5th  of  October,  he 
accordingly  ordered  out  his  own  barge,  and  the  boats  of 
the  two  caravels,  and  proceeded  along  the  northern  ex 
tremity  of  the  island  in  order  to  reach  the  side  which  was 
unseen  from  the  ships.  As  the  Spaniards  rowed  on,  follow 
ing  the  beach,  the  savages  ran  out  from  the  woods  and 
called  to  them  with  gestures  as  if  inviting  them  to  land. 
The  Admiral  writes  :  — 

"  Some  of  them  offered  us  water  and  others  food  ;  while  others 
still,  when  they  perceived  we  did  not  intend  to  go  on  shore, 
threw  themselves  into  the  sea  and  swam  out  to  us.  We  thought 
they  asked  us  whether  we  came  from  heaven,  and  one  old  man 
came  into  my  barge  and  in  a  loud  voice  cried  out  to  the  men 
and  women  ashore  :  '  Come  and  see  the  people  who  have  come 
down  from  heaven !  Bring  them  something  to  eat  and  drink ! ' 

"  A  great  many  now  appeared,  both  men  and  women,  each 
carrying  something  and  giving  thanks  to  God  by  prostrating 
themselves  on  the  ground  and  raising  their  hands  toward  the 
skies.  Afterwards  they  shouted  to  us  that  we  should  go  on 
shore;  but  I  was  afraid  to  land  on  account  of  a  great  reef  of 
rocks  which  encircles  the  island,  the  entrance  through  which  is 
very  narrow,  although  there  is  room  enough  inside  for  all  the 
ships  in  Christendom.  To  be  sure,  there  are  certain  shoals  in- 


AMONG   THE  ISLES  OF  IND.  141 

side  the  reef ;  but  the  sea  is  as  quiet  as  a  pond.  It  was  in  order 
to  examine  all  this  that  I  set  out  this  morning,  so  that  I  might 
give  an  account  of  it  to  your  Highnesses,  and  also  to  find  a  good 
site  for  a  fort  if  any  should  be  required.  I  came  upon  a  piece 
of  ground  on  which  were  six  cabins,  which  is  almost  an  island, 
but  not  quite.  This  could  be  turned  completely  into  an  island 
in  two  days ;  but  I  do  not  think  it  necessary,  for  these  people 
are  very  ignorant  of  weapons,  as  your  Majesties  can  see  from 
the  seven  of  them  which  I  have  caused  to  be  seized,  that  I  might 
carry  them  with  me  and  teach  them  our  language  and  then  bring 
them  back.  Later  on  your  Highnesses  can  either  send  out  and 
remove  all  these  natives  to  Castile,  or  hold  them  captive  in  the 
island  itself,  as  may  be  best;  for  fifty  Spaniards  can  keep 
the  whole  population  in  subjection  and  compel  them  to  do  what 
ever  is  wanted.  Close  to  this  little  peninsula  there  are  good 
springs  and  groves  of  trees  more  beautiful  than  any  I  have 
ever  seen,  and  with  their  leaves  as  green  as  the  woods  of  Spain 
in  May  and  April.  After  examining  that  harbor  I  returned  to 
the  ships,  and  gave  orders  to  make  sail." 

In  taking  with  him  these  seven  islanders  to  act  as  pilots 
and  interpreters,  it  does  not  seem  that  the  Admiral  had  to 
employ  force.  He  speaks  of  them  almost  daily  in  his  diary 
as  serving  him  with  willingness  and  interest,  and  it  is  likely 
the  misguided  captives  esteemed  it  a  high  honor  to  be  as 
sociated  with  such  miraculous  beings  as  their  visitors.  But 
in  proposing  to  transport  the  whole  population  to  Spain,  or 
to  establish  a  garrison  in  the  island  and  make  the  inhabitants 
work  for  the  benefit  of  the  Crown,  he  was  suggesting  neither 
more  nor  less  than  the  enslavement  of  a  hospitable  and  con 
fiding  people.  In  the  same  paragraph  in  which  he  advances 
this  cold-blooded  proposal,  the  Admiral  records  that  the  tribe 
he  would  thus  kidnap  as  slaves  had  thanked  their  gods  for  his 
arrival  and  offered  him  freely  everything  they  owned  !  We 
must  believe,  nevertheless,  that  he  was  influenced  by  other 
than  cruel  or  mercenary  motives.  His  whole  career  proves 
him  to  have  been  a  sincere  friend  and  protector  of  the  de 
fenceless  aborigines  against  the  greed  and  arrogance  of  his 
rougher  followers.  Doubtless  the  explanation  of  this  ap 
parent  contradiction  lies  in  the  fact  that  he  believed  that 
the  surest  way  of  turning  them  into  Christians  would  be  to 


142       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

place  them  under  the  tutelage  of  Spain,  and  in  his  opinion 
the  certainty  of  their  gaining  heaven  was  cheaply  bought  if 
they  only  had  to  give  in  exchange  the  labor  of  their  hands. 
The  correctness  of  this  system  of  ethics  is  not  wholly  evi 
dent  in  these  latter  days;  but  the  Admiral's  subsequent 
course  is  uniformly  consistent  with  it.  The  Moors  taken 
prisoners  by  the  Spaniards  were  considered  as  slaves ;  the 
Portuguese  brought  back  from  every  voyage  to  the  Guinea 
coast  large  numbers  of  the  African  negroes ;  and  in  both 
these  instances  every  effort  was  put  forth  to  convert  the 
captives  to  the  Christian  faith.  To  one  brought  up  in  such 
a  school  there  was  nothing  unjust  or  unprincipled  in  the  sug 
gestion  of  the  Admiral,  and  if  in  later  years  it  was  repudi 
ated  by  Isabella  and  reprehended  by  Las  Casas,  he  returned 
to  Spain  and  re-embarked  for  the  "  Indies  "  without  a  word  of 
censure  being  raised  against  his  present  view.  Had  he  fore 
seen  that  within  fifty  years  the  entire  population  of  the  West 
Indies  would  disappear  under  the  theory  that  they  were  the 
lawful  prey  of  their  Spanish  discoverers,  he  would  have 
been  the  first  to  throw  about  them  the  strong  protection  of 
the  Crown. 

No  such  anticipations  disturbed  the  Admiral's  mind  that 
quiet  Sunday  afternoon  as  the  fleet  got  under  weigh  and 
steered  for  another  large  island  which  was  visible  on  the 
horizon  to  the  west  of  San  Salvador.  Sitting  in  the  shelter 
of  his  cabin,  he  wrote  out  his  diary  in  the  calm  enjoyment 
of  his  novel  surroundings.  He  continues  :  — 

"  So  many  islands  are  in  sight,  that  I  cannot  make  up  my 
mind  which  to  visit  first.  The  natives  I  have  brought  with 
me  explained  by  signs  that  there  were  so  many  and  so  very 
many  that  they  could  not  be  counted,  and  they  called  more 
than  a  hundred  by  name.  I  have  therefore  chosen  the  largest 
one,  and  decided  to  go  to  it;  and  this  I  am  doing  now.  It 
is,  perhaps,  five  leagues  distant  from  San  Salvador,  and  of  the 
others  some  are  nearer  and  some  farther.  They  are  all  level, 
without  any  mountains,  and  are  very  fertile.  They  are  like 
wise  inhabited,  and  the  people  on  them  seem  to  make  war  upon 
their  neighbors,  although  these  I  have  with  me  are  very  simple- 
hearted  and  magnificent  specimens  of  manhood." 


AMONG   THE  ISLES  OF  IND.  143 

The  island  for  which  the  fleet  was  steering  proved  to  be 
nearer  twenty  miles  distant  than  fifteen ;  so,  as  they  had  a 
strong  current  setting  against  them,  the  Admiral  gave  orders 
to  shorten  sail  and  not  attempt  to  make  an  anchorage  that 
evening  for  fear  of  reefs  and  hidden  rocks.  It  was  quite 
noon  on  the  following  day  when  he  finally  reached  the 
coast ;  and  at  first  he  determined  to  make  no  landing,  as  a 
still  larger  island  was  now  visible,  lying  farther  to  the  west ; 
but  he  concluded  that  the  additional  distance  was  too  great 
to  be  covered  in  the  remainder  of  the  day,  and  so  came  to 
anchor  about  sunset  off  the  western  point  of  the  island  he 
had  reached.  To  this  he  gave  the  name  of  Santa  Maria 
de  la  Concepcion,  or  to  be  more  brief,  Conception,  in  honor 
of  that  feast  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 

The  natives  he  had  brought  with  him  from  San  Salvador,  — 
or  his  interpreters,  as  we  may  call  them  for  convenience,  — 
although  as  yet  they  did  not  know  a  word  of  Spanish,  indicated 
to  him  by  signs  that  there  was  plenty  of  gold  in  this  island, 
and  that  the  inhabitants  wore  heavy  bracelets  and  anklets  of  the 
precious  metal.  At  least,  this  is  what  the  Admiral  supposed 
they  said.  But  when  he  went  on  shore  the  next  morning 
at  daylight,  accompanied  by  all  the  boats  of  the  squadron, 
he  found  the  people  to  be  in  the  same  condition  as  those 
of  San  Salvador,  without  so  much  as  clothing,  much  less 
golden  rings  upon  their  limbs.  On  seeing  this  he  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  interpreters  had  only  told  him  such 
tales  to  get  a  chance  of  going  on  shore  and  running  away.  Nor 
is  it  at  all  improbable  ;  for  even  a  few  days  passed  on  board 
the  small  ship  must  have  convinced  the  men  of  Guanahani 
that  the  freedom  of  their  life  in  forest  and  canoe  was  pref 
erable  to  this  enforced  contact  with  the  Spanish  "  angels." 

Poor  as  they  were,  the  people  of  Conception  gave  the 
Spaniards  everything  that  attracted  their  attention,  and  let 
them  walk  unmolested  through  their  groves.  Somewhat 
chagrined  at  finding  no  signs  of  the  gold  he  had  expected, 
the  Admiral  did  not  stay  long  on  shore,  but  soon  returned 
on  board  the  flagship.  When  he  reached  her  deck  he  ob 
served  that  a  large  canoe  had  put  out  from  the  beach  and 


144      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

was  lying  alongside  the  "  Nina."  The  natives  manning  her 
had  been  on  board  that  vessel  inspecting  the  wonders  of  the 
white  men  and  exchanging  trifles  with  them,  and  now  they 
were  all  taking  their  places  in  the  canoe  and  making  ready  to 
start  for  land.  Just  as  they  were  leaving  the  ship's  side, 
one  of  the  interpreters,  who  had  been  placed  on  board  the 
"  Nina,"  sprang  from  the  ship  into  the  canoe,  and  the  savages 
dashed  their  paddles  into  the  water  in  a  mad  spurt  for  the 
beach.  One  of  the  Spanish  boats  which  was  coming  off  to 
the  ships  tried  to  intercept  the  canoe ;  but  it  was  a  useless 
attempt,  and  by  the  time  they  had  rowed  back  to  shore  the 
natives  were  safely  hidden  in  the  forest.  "  They  ran  like 
scared  chickens,"  the  Admiral  writes ;  for  he  had  mounted 
to  the  "  castle  "  in  the  stern  of  his  ship  to  watch  the  out 
come  of  the  chase.  The  Spaniards  returned  to  the  squad 
ron  towing  the  big  canoe  with  them ;  but  their  commander 
was  not  wholly  pleased  with  their  proceeding.  It  was  of 
the  first  importance,  in  his  judgment,  not  to  frighten  or 
disgust  the  natives  in  any  way;  and  this  escape  of  one 
of  his  interpreters  and  the  patent  failure  of  the  captors  to 
recover  him,  gave  Colon  no  little  anxiety  for  the  moment. 
As  he  stood  looking  toward  the  land,  reflecting  on  the  in 
cident,  he  noticed  another  canoe  with  a  single  paddler  come 
out  from  a  different  quarter  and  head  for  the  "  Nina,"  which 
was  anchored  farthest  inshore.  This  man  had  not  seen 
the  flight  of  his  countrymen,  and  so  came  rapidly  toward 
the  caravel,  holding  up  a  ball  of  cotton  yarn  to  be  ex 
changed  for  whatever  the  strangers  would  give.  The  sailors 
made  signs  for  him  to  come  on  board  the  vessel ;  but  this  he 
would  not  do,  although  he  came  close  to  her  side.  Seeing 
this,  the  Admiral  called  out  to  the  crew  to  jump  overboard 
and  seize  the  canoe-man  and  bring  him  with  his  craft  aboard 
the  flagship.  This  they  did  in  a  twinkling,  enjoying  the 
sport ;  and  before  the  poor  savage  knew  well  what  had  hap 
pened,  he  found  himself  before  the  tall  white  "god."  Mak 
ing  every  effort  to  show  his  unwilling  guest  that  he  had 
nothing  to  fear,  the  Admiral  placed  on  the  savage's  head  a 
gaudy  sailor's  bonnet,  and  tied  about  his  arms  some  strings 


AMONG    THE  ISLES  OF  IND.  145 

of  beads,  while  from  his  ears  he  hung  a  pair  of  tiny  bells. 
Surprised  and  delighted  with  this  bewildering  generosity, 
the  prisoner  humbly  offered  to  the  celestial  being  before 
him  the  ball  of  cotton  to  which  he  had  stubbornly  clung  the 
while  ;  but  this  was  declined,  with  many  signs  of  gratitude  by 
Colon.  After  showing  him  some  of  the  marvels  of  the  ship, 
the  Admiral  put  him  back  into  his  canoe,  still  grasping  the 
ball  of  cotton,  and  had  his  own  men  tow  both  it  and 
the  larger  one  back  to  the  beach,  where  they  left  him  with 
the  two  boats.  As  soon  as  the  natives  who  were  hiding 
among  the  trees  saw  the  Spaniards  returning  to  their  ships, 
they  flocked  down  on  the  sands  and  surrounded  the  lucky 
cotton-peddler  with  gestures  of  astonishment  and  admira 
tion  at  the  wonderful  riches  he  now  possessed.  The  latter 
gesticulated  freely,  pointing  to  the  vessels  and  then  to  the 
trinkets  on  his  person,  and  held  up  the  ball  of  yarn  in  tri 
umph,  as  much  as  to  say  that  all  that  glory  had  cost  him 
nothing. 

"  I  sent  this  man  back  on  shore  and  gave  him  these  pres 
ents,"  the  Admiral  explains,  "  because  I  wanted  the  natives 
to  think  that  we  are  good  people,  and  that  the  other  man 
(the  interpreter)  had  only  run  away  from  us  because  he 
was  our  prisoner  for  having  done  some  damage  to  us  ;  and  so 
they  all  might  have  a  kindly  opinion  of  us,  and  should  not 
make  trouble  if  your  Highnesses  should  send  anybody  to  this 
island  again.  After  all,  everything  I  gave  him  was  not  worth 
four  maravedies."  Plainly  it  was  a  good  investment  of  five 
cents,  for  nothing  that  the  fugitive  interpreter  could  now 
say  about  the  strangers  would  be  believed  by  the  people  of 
Conception.  Had  not  the  white  men  sent  back  their  boats 
unharmed,  and  loaded  their  fellow-countryman  with  magnifi 
cent  presents,  and  all  this  without  accepting  payment  ?  The 
poor  San  Salvadorian  would  find  few  to  credit  him  when  he 
tried  to  make  his  hearers  believe  that  the  Spaniards  were 
only  men  like  themselves. 

As  soon  as  his  party  returned  from  putting  the  savage 
ashore,  the  Admiral  made  sail  for  the  larger  island  he  had 
seen  to  the  west.  It  was  only  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 

10 


146      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

and  he  hoped  to  reach  it  early  in  the  evening,  as  it  did  not 
appear  to  be  more  than  thirty  miles  away ;  but  light  winds 
and  adverse  currents  consumed  the  whole  day,  and  the  fleet 
did  not  approach  its  shores  until  after  dark.  Like  the 
prudent  sailor  he  was,  the  Admiral  would  not  come  too 
closely  to  an  unknown  coast  in  the  night,  so  the  squadron 
stood  on  and  off  alongshore  until  daylight. 

They  were  about  half-way  between  Conception  and  the 
new  island,  when  they  overtook  a  single  savage  in  one  of 
the  small  canoes,  paddling  quietly  along  over  that  wide 
stretch  of  open  sea  as  though  it  were  a  landlocked  lagoon, 
and  evidently  bound  for  the  same  shores  as  themselves. 
When  the  flagship  came  up,  he  made  signs,  asking  to  be 
taken  up  and  carried  with  them ;  so  the  Admiral  ordered 
both  him  and  his  canoe  to  be  taken  in.  In  the  latter  the 
sailors  found  a  piece  of  mandioca  bread,  the  size  of  a  fist ; 
a  gourd  of  fresh  water;  a  bunch  of  the  precious  dried 
leaves,  of  which  the  Spaniards  had  received  so  many  at  San 
Salvador;1  and  a  lump  of  the  red  clay  with  which  the 
savages  painted  themselves.  The  Admiral  directed  that 
these  trifles  should  be  left  just  as  they  were,  and  had  the 
man  brought  into  his  cabin.  He,  nowise  abashed,  showed 
Colon  a  little  basket  in  which  were  carefully  preserved  a 
string  of  beads  and  two  blaneas,  or  Spanish  coins  of  copper ; 
making  signs  that  he  had  paddled  from  San  Salvador  to 
Conception,  and  was  now  bound  for  the  island  ahead, 
apparently  carrying  the  news  of  the  white  men's  arrival, 
and  taking  their  presents  to  show  what  treasures  they  had 
brought.  The  Admiral  gave  orders  that  their  passenger 
should  be  treated  with  the  utmost  kindness,  and  caused 
bread,  honey,  and  wine  to  be  served  to  him  as  an  improve- 

1  This  the  first  mention  of  tobacco  occurs  in  the  diary  of  Columbus 
under  date  of  October  15;  although,  as  appears  from  the  allusion,  his 
quick  eye  had  discerned  the  value  attached  to  the  plant  by  the  natives 
of  Guanahani,  on  the  very  day  of  his  landing.  In  recording  the  con 
tents  of  the  canoe  referred  to  in  the  text  above,  Columbus  writes  •  "  and 
a  few  dry  leaves,  which  must  be  something  much  prized  by  them  [the 
natives) ;  for  they  had  already  brought  me  some  in  San  Salvador,  as  a 
present." 


AMONG   THE  ISLES  OF  IND.  147 

ment  upon  mandioca  and  water.  When  the  island  was 
neared  in  the  evening,  he  gave  him  fresh  presents,  and  put 
him  overboard  in  the  canoe  to  paddle  ashore  at  once. 
"  And  this  I  did,"  he  writes  after  doing  so,  "  so  that  he  may 
give  good  reports  of  us,  in  order  that  when  others  come 
here  for  your  Majesties,  they  shall  be  received  with  honor, 
and  the  natives  shall  freely  give  them  whatever  they  possess, 
if  it  please  God."  Had  the  Spaniards  and  their  imitators 
always  acted  with  such  prudence,  the  early  history  of 
America  would  have  been  less  blood-stained  than  it  so 
unhappily  is. 

In  the  present  instance  the  wisdom  of  such  a  policy  was 
immediately  apparent.  Shortly  after  the  savage  had  reached 
land,  several  canoes  put  off  to  the  vessels  as  they  lay  hove  to 
near  the  shore,  bringing  with  them  water  and  such  articles 
as  they  had  to  barter ;  and  this  they  kept  up  all  night  long. 
The  Admiral  gave  orders  that  all  who  came  should  be  fed 
and  presented  with  some  trifle  of  beads  or  bells,  in  conse 
quence  of  which  the  natives  were  hugely  delighted.  Early 
in  the  morning  the  ships  came  to  anchor  near  a  village  on 
the  beach,  and  a  party  of  men  were  sent  ashore  to  get  a 
supply  of  water.  On  seeing  them  land,  the  inhabitants  ran 
to  meet  them,  and  vied  with  one  another  in  showing  the 
strangers  where  the  best  springs  were,  and  in  carrying  their 
water-casks  down  to  the  boats,  —  seeming  proud  when 
allowed  to  do  anything  for  the  visitors.  When  the  boats 
returned  to  the  ships,  the  Admiral  hoisted  sail  and  started 
to  explore  the  coast.  This  island  was  so  much  larger  than 
either  San  Salvador  or  Conception,  that  he  thought  it  worthy 
to  be  named  after  the  King  of  Spain,  and  so  called  it 
Fernandina.1  The  people  were  of  the  same  race  as  those  of 
the  other  islands  ;  but  they  seemed  more  fearless  and  some 
what  more  advanced  in  their  way  of  life,  weaving  their 
cotton  into  coarse  cloth,  and  wearing  aprons  of  this  material 
about  their  waists.  They  were  keener  traders  also  ;  for  the 
Admiral  remarks  that  when  they  brought  their  trifles  on  board 

1  This  island  has  been  identified  with  the  modern  Exuma.  Con 
ception  still  retains  the  name  given  it  by  Columbus. 


148   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

the  ships  "  they  knew  how  to  bargain  and  dispute  about  the 
payments,  which  the  others  did  not  do."  The  interpreters 
had  given  him  to  understand  that  beyond  this  island  was 
still  another,  with  a  great  city  called  Samoef,  where  was 
great  store  of  gold.  Not  only  did  the  inhabitants  wear  it 
around  their  arms  and  ankles,  but  also  in  their  noses  and 
ears  and  about  their  necks.  When  he  questioned  the 
natives  of  Fernandina  about  this  city,  they  made  signs  as 
if  to  confirm  the  story,  and  all  on  board  the  fleet  were 
impatient  to  reach  the  scene  of  so  great  wealth.  That  this 
was  a  mistake  of  the  Spaniards,  the  fruit  of  their  absorbing 
desire  to  find  the  promised  abundance  of  the  coveted  gold, 
it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say ;  for  Samoet  was  later  found 
to  be  only  the  native  name  for  Fernandina.  At  present  the 
Admiral  knew  nothing  of  this.  "  These  islands  are  very 
green  and  fertile,  and  blessed  with  a  delightful  climate,"  he 
entered  this  day  in  his  diary ;  "  but  I  do  not  wish  to  delay 
in  my  search  for  as  many  islands  as  possible,  and  examining 
them  to  find  gold.  Since  these  natives  make  such  signs 
that  it  is  worn  by  the  people  of  the  other  islands  on  their 
legs  and  arms,  —  and  I  am  sure  it  is  gold  they  speak  of,  for 
I  have  shown  them  some  of  it  which  I  have,  —  I  cannot  fail, 
with  the  help  of  Our  Lord,  to  find  the  place  where  it  grows." 
With  this  object  in  view  he  determined  to  coast  along 
Fernandina  for  a  while,  and  then  steer  for  the  famous  isle  oi 
Samoet.  It  was  his  intention  to  sail  around  the  southern 
end  of  the  former  island ;  but  Martin  Alonzo  came  along 
side,  as  the  ships  were  getting  under  weigh,  and  told  him 
that  one  of  the  interpreters  who  had  been  assigned  to  the 
"  Pinta,"  insisted  by  his  signs  that  the  quickest  way  to  reach 
the  land  of  gold  was  by  the  northern  end  of  Fernandina ;  so 
the  fleet  sailed  in  that  direction. 

Coasting  leisurely  along,  they  came  to  a  sheltered  harborj 
which  so  attracted  the  Admiral's  sailor-eye  that  he  decided 
to  explore  and  sound  it.  Taking  all  the  small  boats  of  the 
fleet,  he  examined  it  carefully,  and  then  went  on  shore,  fasci 
nated  by  the  beauty  of  the  situation.  A  group  of  natives 
had  gathered  to  see  the  Spaniards  land ;  and  when  the 


AMONG    THE  ISLES  OF  IND.  149 

sailors  indicated  that  they  wished  to  fill  their  water-casks, 
offered  to  show  them  the  way  to  the  springs.  The  Admiral 
and  his  party  remained  behind  to  admire  the  astonishing 
richness  and  variety  of  the  strange  vegetation  which  sur 
rounded  them,  finding  at  every  step  some  new  occasion  for 
delight  and  admiration.  On  returning  to  the  flagship,  the 
Admiral  wrote  :  — 

"  While  the  men  were  away  getting  the  water,  I  wandered 
.among  the  trees,  which  were  the  most  beautiful  things  to  look 
at  that  I  ever  saw.  They  are  very  different  from  those  we  are 
accustomed  to,  and  many  of  them  have  several  kinds  of  branches 
springing  from  a  single  trunk,  —  one  branch  of  one  sort  and 
another  of  another,  so  that  it  is  the  greatest  marvel  in  the  world 
to  see  them.  One  branch  will  have  leaves  like  a  cane-stalk,  and 
another  like  a  gum-tree  and  so  on,  half  a  dozen  kinds  on  one 
trunk.  These  are  not  grafted,  for  one  can  tell  when  a  graft  is 
made ;  but  they  grow  wild  in  this  manner,  and  the  people  pay 
no  attention  to  them.  The  fishes  also  are  entirely  different  from 
ours ;  some  are  like  cocks,  of  the  most  beautiful  colors  imagina 
ble,  —  blue,  red,  yellow,  and  every  other  color ;  and  some  painted 
in  a  thousand  fashions.  The  colors  are  so  perfect  that  there  is 
not  a  man  among  us  who  is  not  astonished  at  them,  and  does 
not  delight  in  seeing  them.  Off  the  islands  there  are  also 
whales ;  but  on  land  I  saw  no  animals  of  any  kind  except  lizards 
and  parrots,  although  one  of  the  sailors  told  me  he  had  seen  a 
large  snake." 

What  the  Admiral  took  for  different  kinds  of  branches  and 
leaves  growing  on  the  same  tree  were  clearly  the  orchids, 
vines,  and  countless  parasites  which  cover  the  trees  of  a  trop 
ical  forest  wherever  a  bough  or  a  knot  or  any  roughness  of 
the  bark  offers  them  lodging-place.  Where  the  situation 
was  favorable  we  have  counted  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  these 
intruders  on  a  single  very  large  trunk ;  to  all  appearance 
part  and  parcel  of  the  parent  stem,  and  yet  each  differing 
entirely  from  the  others  in  leaf  and  flower.  To  one  who 
had  never  heard  of  anything  of  the  kind  before,  it  is  not 
singular  that  the  trees  seemed  to  be  the  work  of  miracle. 

The  seamen,  on  returning  from  the  springs,  told  the 
Admiral  that  the  natives  had  led  them  inland  to  a  village 


150      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA 

and  filled  their  casks.  The  houses  were  well  made,  in  the 
shape  of  a  tent,  with  openings  in  the  roof  for  ventilation, 
and  were  kept  very  clean  and  neat  inside ;  having  sus 
pended  from  their  walls  a  kind  of  net  which  the  people  used 
in  place  of  beds.1  They  also  reported  that  they  had  seen 
dogs  in  the  village  which  did  not  bark ;  and  these,  as  the 
Admiral  notes,  were  the  first  animals  thus  far  encountered. 

One  of  the  seamen  said  that  they  had  met  a  savage  who 
had  a  flat  piece  of  gold,  like  the  half  of  a  Spanish  doubloon, 
hanging  from  his  nose,  on  which  were  stamped  some  letters 
which  he  could  not  distinguish.  In  an  instant  the  Admiral 
was  aroused ;  that  piece  of  gold  with  the  mysterious  letters 
might  furnish  him  with  a  clew  to  where  they  were,  and  be 
the  means  of  their  finding  their  way  to  the  cities  of  the 
Grand  Khan. 

"  How  is  it,"  he  asked  sharply  of  the  men,  "  that  you 
failed  to  bring  me  that  golden  coin?  Know  you  not  that  I 
would  give  all  the  savages  might  ask  to  have  those  letters 
in  my  hand  and  learn  whence  they  had  come? " 

"  If  it  please  your  Nobility,"  the  man  replied  respectfully, 
"  we  offered  all  we  had  to  get  it  for  your  Worship  ;  but  the 
savage  refused  to  part  with  it  for  all  we  had  to  offer,  and 
made  signs  that  he  dared  not  let  us  have  it.  Your  Worship 
has  forbidden  us  to  take  aught  by  violence,  or  easily  might 
we  have  obtained  the  piece,  for  we  were  armed  and  they 
were  naked." 

"  In  that  you  acted  rightly,"  the  Admiral  answered,  anxious 
to  maintain  the  spirit  of  discipline ;  "  yet  gladly  would  I 
have  paid  dear  for  the  trinket.  Another  time  bring  such  a 
man  to  me  or  to  the  other  captains,  and  let  us  see  if  we 
cannot  deal  with  him." 

Colon  was  greatly  annoyed  at  losing  this  bit  of  gold,  and 
shows  as  much  in  his  diary ;  but  it  is  very  doubtful  if  it  would 
have  been  of  any  service  to  him.  What  the  sailors  thought 
were  letters  was  probably  nothing  more  than  the  rude  orna 
mental  lines  which  some  of  the  tribes  on  the  mainland  cut 

1  These  were  called  hamacs  by  the  natives ;  whence  our  term  for 
them.  In  Brazil  they  still  go  by  the  name  of  redes,  or  nets. 


AMONG    THE  ISLES  OF  IND.  1 5  I 

on  their  golden  ornaments,  as  well  as  on  their  pottery  and 
other  handiwork.  We  have  seen  that  they  travelled  from 
one  island  to  another,  and  this  nose- jewel  may  have  come 
from  a  quarter  where  the  people  were  more  skilled  in  the 
arts  than  on  the  lesser  islands ;  so  the  matter  was  not  so 
important,  in  all  likelihood,  as  the  Admiral  esteemed  it. 
His  attention,  however,  was  fixed  on  this  one  metal  for  the 
present,  and  he  passes  by  with  a  bare  mention  the  abun 
dance  of  a  grain  which  apparently  was  sowed  and  gathered 
throughout  the  year.  Cotton,  tobacco,  and  corn  —  the 
three  products  which  have  contributed  most  to  establish  the 
gigantic  commerce  of  the  continent  he  discovered  —  were 
classed  by  the  great  navigator  as  trifles  of  no  especial  value. 
Taking  their  course  again  along  the  coast,  the  fleet  sailed 
on  until  a  thick  haze  with  heavy  showers  of  rain  obliged 
them  to  put  off  to  a  safer  distance  from  land,  and  thus  they 
kept  on  all  that  afternoon  and  night.  The  next  morning 
they  stood  in  again  near  shore,  and  coasted  on  around  the 
island.  They  made  no  landing  that  day ;  but  when  evening 
drew  on  came  to  anchor  as  a  measure  of  precaution.  On 
the  following  day,  the  ipth  of  October,  the  fleet  left  the 
island  of  Fernandina  and  put  out  to  sea,  heading  eastward 
in  search  of  that  famous  Samoet  of  which  such  alluring  tales 
were  told.  A  few  hours  after  sailing  they  came  in  sight  of 
another  large  island,  and  by  noon  had  reached  its  coast. 
This,  the  interpreters  explained  to  the  Admiral,  was  Samoet 
itself,  and  he  named  it  Isabella1  in  honor  of  his  royal 
patroness.  Following  along  its  shores,  he  reached  toward 
evening  a  noble  harbor  surrounded  by  wide  beaches  of 
sand,  and  here  he  anchored  for  the  night.  There  were 
no  indications  of  a  town  visible,  much  less  of  so  great  a  city 
as  he  was  looking  for ;  but  the  interpreters  insisted  by  their 
gestures  that  not  far  off  was  a  great  city  where  dwelt  the 
king  who  had  such  stores  of  gold.  The  Admiral  was  begin 
ning  to  grow  somewhat  suspicious  of  these  repeated  tales  of 
kings  and  treasures,  although  his  anxiety  to  find  them  would 

1  The  island  now  known  as  Isla  Larga. 


152   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

not  permit  him  to  disbelieve  wholly  the  stories  of  his  inter 
preters.     He  wrote  on  the  afternoon  of  his  arrival :  — 

"In  the  morning  I  am  going  alongshore  until  I  can  see  and 
talk  with  this  king,  who,  according  to  what  they  tell  me  with 
their  signs,  is  lord  over  all  these  islands  hereabouts,  and  is  prop 
erly  clothed,  and  wears  much  gold  about  his  person.  Never 
theless  I  do  not  put  entire  faith  in  what  they  tell  me,  not  only 
because  I  cannot  understand  well  what  they  say,  but  because  I 
see  that  they  themselves  are  so  poor  in  gold  that  however  little 
this  king  might  have  it  would  seem  to  them  like  a  great  deal. 

"  This  cape,  which  I  call  Beautiful,  I  take  to  be  an  island 
apart  from  Saomet,  and  conceive  that  there  are  others  yet  be 
tween  ;  but  I  do  not  attempt  to  examine  everything  in  detail,  for 
I  could  not  hope  to  do  it  in  fifty  years,  and  I  wish  to  see  and 
discover  the  most  that  is  possible,  so  as  to  return  to  your  High 
nesses  in  April,  God  willing.  It  is  true,  however,  that  if  I  find 
any  place  where  there  are  gold  and  spices  in  plenty  I  shall 
remain  until  I  have  collected  all  I  can ;  and  thus  it  is  that  I  do 
not  do  otherwise  than  sail  on  until  I  come  to  such  a  place." 

No  doubt  crossed  the  Admiral's  mind  that  he  was  cruis 
ing  among  the  islands  of  the  Eastern  Indies  off  the  Asiatic 
coast ;  and  from  the  time  he  discovered  Fernandina  we  find 
him  constantly  calling  the  natives  "  Indians,"  1  as  day  by  day 
he  enters  in  his  journal  the  incidents  of  his  explorations. 

1  Columbus  first  uses  the  term  on  the  ijth  of  October,  —  "  All  these 
Indians  I  am  taking  with  me." 


XIII. 
IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR  CATHAY. 

"  '"T^HIS  cape  where  I  have  come  to  anchor  I  have  called 
JL  Cape  Beautiful,"  the  Admiral  wrote  that  night,  "  for 
so  it  is ;  and  I  did  not  anchor  before,  as  I  saw  it  from  a 
great  distance  so  green  and  lovely  that  I  came  hither.  But 
such  are  all  the  other  lands  on  these  islands,  and  everything 
about  them ;  so  that  I  do  not  know  in  which  direction  to 
steer  first,  for  my  eyes  never  weary  of  seeing  -these  beautiful 
forests  which  differ  so  greatly  from  our  own."  The  next 
morning,  as  soon  as  the  sun  was  up,  the  fleet  weighed  anchor 
and  stood  along  the  coast  in  search  of  the  city  of  the  king. 
Point  after  point  was  passed,  and  beach  after  beach,  but  no 
vestiges  of  town  or  capital  appeared.  At  night  the  two 
smaller  vessels  anchored,  being  able  to  run  in  close  to  shore 
by  reason  of  their  lighter  draught ;  but  the  flagship  was 
hove  to  at  a  safer  distance  from  land,  as  running  a  greater 
risk  from  rocks  and  shoals.  The  next  day,  Sunday  the 
2ist,  they  all  made  sail  together  and  coasted  along  until 
they  reached  a  favorable  harbor,  where  they  came  to  anchor 
again.  After  breakfast  the  Admiral  and  his  lieutenants  went 
ashore  and  visited  a  village  which  was  near  at  hand.  The 
savages  fled  at  the  approach  of  the  Spaniards,  and  the  latter 
examined  the  houses  at  their  leisure.  Their  commander 
repeated  his  stringent  orders  that  nothing  should  be  dis 
turbed.  "  I  would  not  let  them  take  so  much  as  the  value 
of  a  pin,"  he  writes.  In  his  eyes  this  island  was  yet  more 
beautiful  than  any  they  had  seen ;  and  he  refers  again  and 


154   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

again  to  the  immense  size  of  the  trees,  and  the  fact  that 
everything  was  fresh  and  green,  with  the  flowers  all  in  bloom, 
although  at  this  season  winter  was  setting  in  in  Europe. 
Some  of  the  birds  sang  so  enchantingly  that  no  one  wanted 
to  return  to  the  boats ;  while  the  parrots  and  others  of  gay 
plumage  seemed  countless  in  number  and  variety.  In  the 
midst  of  the  forests  several  charming  lakes  were  discovered, 
their  placid  surfaces  framed  in  circles  of  densest  green.  As 
they  strolled  along  the  banks,  the  men  started  up  a  wonder 
ful  reptile,  like  the  basilisk  of  fable,  which  took  to  the  water, 
where  it  was  followed  and  speared  to  death.  So  extraor 
dinary  a  beast  was  this  that  the  Admiral  directed  that  the 
hide  should  be  kept  to  be  taken  to  the  Spanish  sovereigns 
as  a  curiosity.  From  his  description  their  quarry  seems  to 
have  been  a  large  iguana,  —  truly  a  startling  apparition  when 
seen  for  the  first  time.  Some  of  the  men  found  also  the 
aloes  plant,  which  they  told  Colon  was  of  much  value  in  Spain 
for  medicinal  purposes ;  so  he  directed  them  to  gather  a 
large  quantity  .and  take  it  on  board  the  ships.  Certain  of 
the  trees,  as  well,  he  thought  looked  like  spice- trees,  but  he 
did  not  venture  to  gather  their  fruits,  as  he  knew  little  of 
such  matters.  As  the  party  continued  on  their  way,  the 
natives  —  or  the  Indians,  as  we  may  call  them  on  the  Ad 
miral's  authority  —  appeared  in  groups,  watching  distrust 
fully  the  progress  of  these  miraculous  white  beings.  To  one 
who  came  up  boldly  to  the  Spaniards  a  present  of  beads 
and  other  trinkets  was  given,  and  at  his  demonstrations  of 
delight  the  others  drew  near  with  confidence.  The  better 
to  establish  amity,  Colon  gave  them  each  some  gift,  making 
signs  that  his  men  wished  water  for  drinking ;  so  they  quickly 
provided  themselves  with  gourds,  and  showed  themselves 
anxious  to  gratify  their  visitors. 

As  yet  there  was  no  sign  of  gold  or  king,  and  the  Admiral 
decided  to  sail  around  this  island,  as  he  had  done  at  Fer- 
nandina,  in  search  of  the  city  where  both  were  to  be  found. 
His  interpreters  now  made  him  understand  that  to  the  south 
of  Isabella  was  another  and  very  much  larger  country  which 
they  called  Cuba,  which  contained  ten  great  rivers  and  was 


IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR   CATHAY.  155 

so  extensive  "  that  they  could  not  paddle  around  it  in  twenty 
days ;  "  and  he  decided  to  make  sail  in  that  direction  as  soon 
as  he  had  finished  his  exploration  of  the  present  island. 
The  Admiral  writes  :  — 

"  Although  my  Indians  call  it  Cuba,  I  believe,  from  the  signs 
they  make,  that  this  must  be  Cipango.  They  say  that  in  that 
place  are  to  be  found  many  ships  and  merchants,  and  very  great, 
and  near  it  is  another  large  island,  which  they  call  Bohio;  but 
this  and  the  others  which  they  say  lie  between  here  and  Cuba  I 
can  visit  as  I  sail  thither.  According  to  whether  I  find  plenty 
of  gold  and  spices,  I  shall  then  determine  what  to  do.  But  at 
all  events  I  am  decided  to  go  to  the  mainland  and  visit  the  city 
of  Quimsay,  and  deliver  the  letters  of  your  Majesties  to  the 
Grand  Khan  and  ask  him  for  a  reply,  and  return  to  Spain." 

Well  might  his  friend  and  historian,  Las  Casas,  note  on  the 
margin  of  the  Admiral's  diary,  "  All  this  is  gibberish  to  me  !  " 
So  fixed  in  Colon's  mind  was  this  one  prevailing  idea  of  his 
being  near  the  continent  of  Asia,  that  not  even  the  new  dis 
appointment  he  had  just  suffered,  in  finding  the  people  of 
Saomet  naked  and  treasureless  like  all  whom  he  had  met, 
could  shake  his  conviction  that  the  great  island  he  had  heard 
of  called  Cuba  was  Japan  itself,  and  that  China  and  India  — 
the  kingdoms  of  the  Khan  —  must  lie  not  far  away.  What 
ever  we  may  think  of  his  geography,  we  cannot  but  envy  his 
faith  and  perseverance. 

As  for  his  interpreters,  they  were  doubtless  doing  all  in 
their  power  to  gratify  him.  They  saw  the  Spaniards  evi 
dently  anxious  to  go  from  island  to  island,  and  so  pointed 
out  the  direction  of  one  after  another  without  having  any 
idea  of  what  their  masters  really  wanted.  If  a  piece  of  gold 
was  shown  to  them,  they  would  nod  their  heads  and  point 
toward  another  island.  When  they  had  reached  this,  and 
the  Spaniards  had  explored  it  and  made  new  signs  that  they 
wanted  "  more,"  the  Indians  would  nod  their  heads  again 
and  point  somewhere  else.  Savages  who  were  unable  to 
count  as  high  as  ten  could  have  no  very  definite  conception 
of  what  constituted  much  or  little ;  the  gold  was  no  great 
treasure  to  them,  and  when  they  had  showed  a  few  men 


156      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

wearing  it  in  their  ears  or  noses  they  felt  that  they  had  done 
all  that  was  desired  of  them.  What  could  these  white  people 
want  with  that  yellow  stuff,  anyhow?  It  was  soft  and  good 
for  nothing,  and  no  brighter  than  the  polished  armor  and 
weapons  of  which  the  strangers  had  such  a  plenty ;  without 
taking  into  count  their  fabulous  wealth  of  other  still  richer 
things,  such  as  beads  and  bells  and  needles  !  And  so,  no 
doubt,  these  poor  interpreters  fancied  they  were  doing  ad 
mirably,  and  continued  with  their  simple  process  of  answer 
ing  the  questions  they  did  not  understand.  Now  that  they 
were  at  Saomet  they  pointed  southward  and  said,  "  Cuba ;  " 
and  Colon,  thinking  it  sounded  like  "  Cipango,"  read  ships 
and  merchants  and  countless  wealth  in  the  signs  they  made. 
For  all  he  knew,  they  might  have  been  telling  him  how  many 
canoes  had  taken  part  in  the  last  foray  executed  by  the 
natives  of  the  great  island  against  their  neighbors. 

"  All  last  night  and  all  to-day  have  I  been  waiting  here  at 
anchor,"  the  Admiral  wrote  on  the  day  following  his  arrival 
in  Isabella,  "  to  see  whether  this  king  or  any  of  his  people 
would  bring  me  gold  or  anything  else  of  value."  But  these 
islanders  were  like  the  others,  naked  and  poor,  paii  ited  in 
all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  and  offering  nothing  more 
valuable  for  exchange  than  javelins  and  cotton.  When  the 
sailors  would  give  them  a  bit  of  broken  glass  or  a  fragment 
of  a  cracked  pot,  the  Indians  would  hand  it  from  one  to 
another  as  though  it  were  some  divine  treasure.  Now  and 
again  a  savage  appeared  with  a  little  scrap  of  beaten  gold 
stuck  through  a  hole  in  his  nose  or  ear,  and  this  he  very 
willingly  exchanged  for  a  tiny  bell  or  a  few  colored  beads ; 
"  but  it  was  at  best  so  little  that  it  was  almost  nothing,"  the 
admiral  writes  in  some  disgust.  The  winds  were  light  and 
contrary,  and  the  ships  could  not  leave  their  present  berth. 
The  sailors  went  ashore  again  for  water  and  to  gather  more 
aloes,  and  Martin  Alonzo  killed  another  iguana  ;  but  nothing 
occurred  to  be  recorded.  All  day  long,  too,  the  rain  poured 
down  in  torrents ;  and  in  the  midst  of  their  discomfort  the 
sailors  remarked  that  the  air  was  warm  even  then,  and  were 
surprised  that  it  did  not  grow  chilly.  On  the  morning  fol- 


IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR   CATHAY.  157 

lowing,  finding  that  the  wind  died  away  and  a  dead  calm  set 
in,  the  Admiral  abandoned  his  intention  of  sailing  around 
Isabella,  and  decided  to  head  direct  for  Cuba  as  soon  as  a 
breeze  sprang  up.  He  wrote  :  — 

"  I  have  made  up  my  mind  not  to  sail  around  this  island  as  I 
had  intended,  in  order  to  search  for  the  city  and  have  inter 
course  with  this  king  or  lord,  since  that  would  delay  me  a  great 
deal  and  I  perceive  that  there  is  no  mine  of  gold  in  this  country. 
Besides,  to  sail  around  these  islands  many  kinds  of  wind  are 
necessary,  and  the  wind  will  not  always  blow  the  way  men  want 
Moreover,  it  is  not  worth  while  to  remain  here  longer,  as  I  am 
going  to  where  there  is  commerce  to  be  had  on  a  large  scale 
and  to  find  a  country  which  will  be  very  profitable.  For  all  that, 
I  believe  that  this  island  might  prove  lucrative  enough  in  spices; 
but  I  know  nothing  about  these,  for  which  I  am  more  grieved 
than  I  can  say." 

Here  we  find  the  Admiral  clearly  in  doubt  as  to  which 
was  the  best  course  to  pursue,  with  his  own  feeling  plainly 
in  favor  of  abandoning  the  lesser  advantage  for  what  he 
hoped  should  prove  a  greater.  The  winds  decided  the  mat 
ter  for  him ;  for  at  midnight  a  fresh  breeze  was  blowing, 
and,  hoisting  all  sail,  he  stood  away  to  the  southwest  in 
search  of  what  he  was  satisfied  must  be  Japan. 

The  wet  season  in  those  latitudes  had  by  this  time  set  in, 
and  the  rainstorms  were  frequent  and  violent,  while  the  winds 
were  uncertain  and  fitful.  The  Admiral  persisted  in  his  at 
tempts  to  get  from  his  interpreters  some  intelligent  knowl 
edge  of  the  great  island  for  which  he  was  bound,  and  was 
more  and  more  convinced  that  it  was  indeed  Cipango.  "  I 
am  sure,"  he  writes,  "  from  the  signs  made  not  only  by  my 
own  Indians  but  by  the  people  of  all  these  other  islands 
that  this  must  be  that  Cipango  of  which  such  marvellous 
tales  are  told ;  and  from  the  globes  and  maps  of  the  world 
which  I  have  seen  in  Europe  I  know  that  it  must  be  some 
where  in  this  neighborhood."  His  impatience  to  catch  a 
sight  of  the  famous  country  increased  as  the  ships  lay  idly 
on  the  quiet  waters  of  the  Bahama  Sea  in  the  dead  calms 
which  now  befell  them ;  and  whenever  a  favorable  breeze 


158   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

sprang  up  he  crowded  on  every  inch  of  canvas  that  his 
sticks  would  hold,  detailing  in  his  journal  with  a  true  sail 
or's  delight  all  the  sails  he  spread  upon  masts  and  yards 
to  give  his  vessel  the  greater  speed.  On  the  25th  of  Octo 
ber  he  came  upon  a  group  of  seven  or  eight  little  islands 
surrounded  by  such  wide- stretching  shoals  that  he  called 
them  the  Isles  of  Sands,1  and  here  he  anchored  overnight. 
His  Indians  now  represented  that  from  here  to  Cuba  was 
only  a  voyage  of  a  day  and  a  half  in  their  canoes,  and  he 
was  correspondingly  elated  at  the  news.  From  their  ges 
tures  he  gathered  that  the  country  he  was  approaching  was 
very  extensive  indeed,  and  rich  in  gold  and  pearls.  Be 
yond  all  doubt,  he  repeats,  this  is  Cipango.  Setting  sail 
on  the  morning  of  the  26th,  the  fleet  kept  on  steadily  all 
that  day  and  night  and  the  next  day.  Toward  evening  of 
the  27th  they  came  in  sight  of  land,  which  the  interpreters 
said  was  the  country  they  were  seeking,  and  the  Admiral 
steered  direct  for  the  coast.  On  the  morning  of  the  28th 
they  were  off  the  mouth  of  a  large  river,  and  into  it  the 
vessels  steered  and  came  to  anchor. 

"  So  beautiful  a  country  I  have  never  seen,"  the  Admiral 
writes ;  and  in  saying  this  he  does  no  discredit  to  his  expe 
rience,  —  for  the  western  end  of  that  noble  island  as  viewed 
from  the  sea  in  the  earlier  hours  of  daylight  is  truly  a  vision 
of  rarest  loveliness.  The  keen  eye  of  the  great  discoverer 
wandered  past  glittering  beaches  of  whitest  sand,  over  the 
undulating  surface  of  luxuriant  forests,  to  where  broad  slopes 
of  brightest  emerald  led  gently  upward  in  ever-mounting 
terraces  to  the  verdure-covered  foothills  and  frowning  pre 
cipices  of  the  gloomy  sierras  farther  inland.  The  light 
mists  of  morning  which  veiled  the  lower  levels  were  slowly 
dissipated  as  the  sun  gained  strength,  and  along  the  forbid 
ding  faces  of  the  loftier  ranges  the  rising  vapors  were 
blown  in  softly  rolling  clouds,  save  where  here  and  there 
embosomed  in  some  steep  and  sheltered  valley,  they  hung 
smooth  and  motionless.  The  contrast  between  the  bright 
ness  which  flooded  the  sea  and  sand  and  sunlit  woods 

1  Presumably  the  cays  of  the  Great  Bahama  Bank. 


IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR   CATHAY.  159 

and  the  shadows  of  the  mighty  rocks  and  deep  gorges  of 
the  distant  mountains  grew  quickly  less  as  the  morning  ad 
vanced  ;  but  even  the  full  glare  of  broad  daylight  could  not 
wholly  dispel  the  purple  shades  which  lingered  in  the  far 
recesses  of  the  rugged  interior.  The  scene  recalled  to  Co 
lon's  mind  the  majestic  beauty  of  the  Sicilian  coasts  and  the 
familiar  grandeur  of  the  noblest  scenery  in  the  sierras  of 
Granada ;  although,  he  hastens  to  add,  the  landscape  before 
his  eyes  was  by  far  the  fairest  that  mortal  sight  had  ever 
rested  upon.  Anxious  to  know  more  of  a  land  which  of 
fered  such  a  vision  of  delight,  he  quickly  embarked  in  his 
barge  and  went  on  shore.  Close  down  to  the  river's  edge 
came  the  dense  forest  of  the  tropics,  —  a  riotous  confusion 
of  buttressed  trunks  and  festooned  vines,  twisted  roots  and 
thorny  undergrowth,  of  blossoming  boughs  and  swaying 
orchids,  —  all  mirrored  in  the  polished  surface  of  the 
stream  below.  The  splashing  of  the  sailors'  oars  alarmed 
a  multitude  of  gayly  painted  birds  which  gleamed  in  the 
sunlight  as  they  swept  into  the  shelter  of  the  woods,  while 
from  all  quarters  came  the  chatter  and  music  of  a  thousand 
unseen  others.  The  Admiral  landed  at  the  river's  mouth, 
and  took  possession  of  the  country  with  due  formality,  call 
ing  it  Juana,  after  the  young  Prince  Royal  of  Spain.  A 
few  canoes  had  put  out  from  shore  as  the  fleet  came  to 
anchor ;  but  when  they  saw  the  boats  manned  and  headed 
for  the  beach,  the  frightened  natives  paddled  back  and 
sought  safety  in  their  pathless  forest.  Near  the  landing- 
place  the  Spaniards  found  two  huts,  which  from  their  con 
tents  must  have  belonged  to  fishermen,  for  they  contained 
nets  and  lines  made  from  the  fibre  of  palm-trees,  hooks  of 
bone,  rude  harpoons,  and  other  fishing-gear.  The  huts  had 
one  apartment  only,  but  were  of  unusual  size ;  and  from  the 
number  of  fires  smouldering  about  the  floor  the  Spaniards 
concluded  that  several  families  lived  together  under  a  single 
roof.  The  only  living  thing  visible  was  a  dumb  dog  of  sin 
gular  appearance,  and  the  sailors  would  have  carried  it  off 
except  for  the  Admiral's  orders  that  everything  should  be 
left  untouched.  Going  back  to  the  barge,  he  had  his  men 


160      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

row  him  for  some  distance  up  the  river,  scrutinizing  closely 
all  he  saw,  and  enjoying  with  keen  appreciation  the  prodigal 
beauty  of  his  surroundings.  "  It  was  such  a  delight  to  be 
hold  all  that  freshness  and  those  wonderful  forests  with  their 
multitude  of  birds,"  he  writes,  "  that  I  could  with  difficulty 
turn  back  to  go  on  board  the  ships."  He  noted  several 
plants  and  wild- flowers  like  those  of  Europe,  and  remarked 
that  in  several  places,  even  along  the  seashore,  the  grass 
grew  long  and  fresh  close  down  to  the  water's  edge ;  from 
which  he  concluded  that  no  furious  tempests  could  ever 
rage  there,  for  otherwise  the  beaches  would  everywhere  be 
swept  bare  of  vegetation.  The  palms,  too,  he  observed,  were 
far  more  sightly  than  those  of  Southern  Europe  and  the  Af 
rican  coasts,  as  here  their  trunks  were  clean  and  straight, 
and  not  cumbered  with  the  ugly  growth  of  dead  fibre  which 
disfigured  those  of  the  older  world.  Fascinated  with  his 
morning's  experience,  he  reluctantly  gave  orders  to  row 
back  to  the  ships.  He  was  fully  persuaded  that  he  had  at 
length  reached  Cipango.  In  the  bald  and  scarred  faces  of 
the  remoter  mountains  he  believed  lay  hidden  mines  of  gold, 
and  on  the  beach  near  the  fishers'  cabins  he  had  seen  large 
piles  of  mussel-shells.  What  could  be  clearer  than  that 
these  were  the  source  from  which  were  drawn  the  famous 
pearls  of  the  Orient?  When  he  showed  them  to  the  In 
dians  on  the  "Santa  Maria"  they  made  signs  that  people 
came  from  ten  days'  distance  off  to  seek  them.  To  the 
Admiral's  eager  mind  this  obviously  meant  that  China  was 
only  that  far  away ;  the  ships  of  the  Great  Khan,  of  course, 
came  hither  to  get  these  pearls  and  other  treasures,  and 
took  them  back  to  the  kingdom  of  Cathay.  A  rash  con 
clusion  to  draw  from  a  few  empty  shells  and  a  range  of 
distant  mountains,  you  will  say ;  but  we  must  bear  in  mind 
the  extraordinary  coincidence  that  Colon  had  found  this 
great  island  and  its  lesser  neighbors  very  nearly  where  the 
charts  showed  him  Japan  should  lie,  and  that  the  wonder 
ful  novelty  of  everything  about  him  showed  conclusively 
that  he  had  reached  a  new  and  marvellous  region.  As  he 
had  no  dream  of  any  other  land  than  Asia  in  this  direction, 


IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR   CATHAY.  i6l 

it  is  not  singular  that  he  should  have  taken  Cuba  for  the 
great  Asiatic  island,  and  looked  confidently  to  find  within  a 
few  days'  sail  the  eastern  continent  itself.  Firm  in  this 
belief,  and  impatient  to  reach  the  capital  of  the  country 
and  meet  its  king,  he  now  weighed  anchor  and  sailed 
westward  along  the  coast.  Just  as  he  had  named  after  Our 
Saviour  the  first  land  he  touched  at  on  this  cruise,  so  now  he 
called  by  the  same  all-powerful  name  the  first  landing  he  had 
made,  as  he  supposed,  on  the  wondrous  shores  of  Cipango. 

The  next  day,  as  the  squadron  sailed  along  the  coast  as 
near  the  land  as  it  seemed  prudent  to  go,  they  came  upon 
another  and  larger  river,  which  offered  an  ideal  harbor. 
Coming  to  anchor  within  its  mouth,  the  Admiral  took  his 
barge  and  rowed  up  it  some  distance  before  going  on  shore. 
Finding  that  the  salt  water  entered  it  as  far  as  he  had  gone, 
he  called  the  stream  the  River  of  the  Tides,  and  noted  with 
pleasure  its  suitableness  for  a  naval  station.  He  had  taken 
with  him  one  of  his  interpreters,  as  a  village  was  situated 
near  the  river's  mouth,  and  he  desired  to  hold  communica 
tion  with  the  inhabitants ;  but  as  the  boat  drew  near  the 
beach,  the  natives  fled  to  the  woods,  and  all  efforts  to  find 
them  were  unavailing.  The  houses  in  this  settlement  were 
the  largest  and  best  built  that  the  Spaniards  had  thus  far 
seen ;  and  this  confirmed  the  Admiral's  conviction  that  he 
was  drawing  steadily  nearer  to  the  great  cities  of  the  Indies 
which  Marco  Polo  had  described.  They  were  carefully 
thatched  with  palm-leaves,  clean  and  tidy  within,  and  ar 
ranged  with  some  approach  to  the  regularity  of  streets. 
From  their  contents  they  too  were  occupied  each  by  several 
families,  and  their  residents  were  engaged  in  fishing.  Be 
sides  the  dumb  dogs  already  seen,  the  sailors  found  many 
tame  birds  of  odd  appearance  hopping  about  the  dwellings. 
What  surprised  them  most  was  a  number  of  statuettes  of 
women  which  they  saw  in  the  houses  carved  out  of  wood, 
and  a  quantity  of  grotesque  masques  sculptured  from  the 
same  material.  Whether  these  were  meant  as  idols,  or  were 
used  in  the  native  sports,  the  Admiral  could  not  decide ; 
but  he  argued  also,  from  the  presence  of  these  tokens  of  a 

ii 


1 62       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

higher  grade  of  intelligence,  that  he  was  approaching  the  seat 
of  government,  or  at  least  some  city  of  importance.  The 
large  skulls  of  what  appeared  to  be  cattle  hung  on  the  walls 
of  several  of  the  cabins ;  and  this  he  thought  an  additional 
indication  of  increasing  civilization,  for  he  had  seen  no  signs 
of  flocks  and  herds  before.  Cheered  by  these  observations, 
he  returned  on  board  ship  with  high  hopes  of  reaching  the 
territories  of  the  Khan  erelong.  In  his  diary  that  evening 
he  dwelt  on  the  beauty  of  all  about  him,  —  the  profusion  of 
brilliant  flowers  and  gaudy  birds,  the  sweet  flavor  of  the 
fruits,  the  stately  character  of  the  forest-trees.  Even  at 
night,  he  adds,  the  delicious  perfume  from  the  woods  and 
the  ceaseless  music  of  the  crickets  filled  all  on  the  squadron 
with  delight.  His  crickets  were  doubtless  for  the  most  part 
katydids  and  frogs ;  but  at  a  little  distance  away  the  noc 
turnal  concert  of  those  forests'  is  grateful  to  more  exacting 
ears  than  the  Admiral's  were  at  that  period.  The  climate 
was  all  that  could  be  wished,  he  says,  —  the  days  neither 
hot  nor  cold,  but  more  temperate  than  those  he  had  passed 
on  the  other  islands ;  and  this  he  ascribes  to  the  vicinity  of 
such  lofty  mountains.  Altogether  he  was  disposed  to  find 
something  to  praise  and  extol  at  every  turn.  Even  the 
waters  of  the  ocean  near  the  mouths  of  the  rivers  he  thought 
seemed  to  be  fitted  by  nature  for  the  growth  of  the  rarest 
qualities  of  pearls  ! 

The  next  day  the  fleet  continued  toward  the  west  until 
they  came  in  sight  of  a  lofty  headland  which  closed  the  view 
ahead.  As  they  stood  for  this,  the  "  Pinta  "  hailed  the  flag 
ship,  and  Martin  Alonzo  came  on  board  the  latter.  He  was 
full  of  a  grand  discovery  he  had  made  regarding  the  land 
along  which  they  were  coasting.  It  was  not  the  island  of 
Cipango  at  all,  but  the  veritable  mainland  of  Asia,  —  the 
empire  of  the  Khan. 

"  Always  under  your  Excellency's  wiser  judgment,  Senor 
Admiral,"  he  said,  feigning  a  submission  he  was  far  from 
feeling,  "  I  take  it  to  be  a  thing  assured  that  this  country  is 
Asia  itself,  and  not  the  island  of  Cipango.  The  Indian  who 
sails  with  me  as  interpreter  has  made  some  progress  with 


IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR   CATHAY.  163 

our  tongue,  and  learned  to  understand  me  with  much  cer 
tainty.  He  makes  me  know  that  Cuba  is  not  the  name  of 
an  island,  as  your  Worship  has  hitherto  conceived,  but  that 
of  a  great  city  which  lies  four  days'  journey  from  the  river 
which  we  shall  find  beyond  the  lofty  cape  for  which  we  now 
are  steering.  This  same  heathen  plainly  says  that  the  king 
of  this  country  is  constantly  at  war  with  the  Great  Khan,  who 
would  conquer  the  land  and  add  it  to  his  dominions.  The 
Khan,  my  interpreter  tells  me,  is  here  called  Cami,  which 
your  Worship  will  see  is  but  the  same  word  altered  to  their 
manner  of  speech,  and  his  capital  is  called  by  them  Fava. 
Moreover  he  gave  me  many  other  names  of  towns  and  cities 
which  I  cannot  bear  in  mind.  But  so  great  and  joyful  an 
intelligence  I  thought  it  right  to  bring  without  loss  of  time 
to  your  Excellency's  knowledge." 

This  piece  of  news  coincided  so  exactly  with  the  Admiral's 
wishes  that  he  was  ready  enough  to  accept  it  for  gospel 
truth.  To  be  sure,  he  had  supposed  that  Cuba  was  an 
island,  and  that  it  was  beyond  a  peradventure  Cipango,  for 
so  his  charts  gave  him  cause  to  believe.  But  he  might  easily 
have  misunderstood  his  Indians  as  to  the  first  point ;  and 
the  rough  map  he  sailed  by  made  no  pretensions  as  to  the 
exactness  of  its  distances,  so  he  might  easily  be  nearer  Asia 
than  he  fancied.  Accordingly  he  adopted  without  hesita 
tion  the  views  of  Martin  Alonzo. 

"  I  give  you  hearty  thanks,  brave  captain,"  he  replied, 
"  for  this  your  love  and  diligence.  The  news  you  bring  is 
indeed  of  the  most  welcome.  Let  us  press  all  sail,  and 
hasten  to  double  the  headland,  that  we  may  the  sooner  reach 
this  river  of  which  your  Indian  tells,  and  open  intercourse 
with  the  city  of  this  king." 

As  the  ships  drew  nearer  to  the  cape,  the  Admiral  reflected 
deeply  over  what  his  lieutenant  had  laid  before  him.  The 
more  he  pondered,  the  more  he  was  satisfied  that  he  had 
mistaken  the  signs  of  his  own  interpreters,  and  that  instead 
of  Cuba  being  an  island  it  was  the  continent  itself.  He  re 
called  now  that  he  was  about  in  the  latitude  where  Marco 
Polo  had  placed  the  kingdoms  of  the  great  Oriental  prince, 


1 64      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

and  judged  that  the  cooler  weather  he  had  recently  encoun 
tered  was  additional  evidence  of  his  nearness  to  Cathay. 
Since  the  king  of  this  country  was  at  war  with  the  Great 
Khan,  it  was  obvious  that  the  territories  of  the  latter,  with  all 
their  wealth  and  treasures,  could  not  be  very  remote.  He 
therefore  determined  that  as  soon  as  he  had  passed  the 
cape  and  anchored  in  the  river  beyond,  he  would  send  a 
party  to  seek  the  city  of  which  the  "  Pinta's  "  Indian  had 
told  Martin  Alonzo,  and  that  by  their  hands  he  would  send 
some  of  the  presents  and  letters  which  the  Spanish  sovereigns 
had  given  him  to  deliver  to  the  potentates  of  the  eastern 
realms  which  both  they  and  he  supposed  would  be  reached. 
In  casting  about  for  the  person  who  should  best  fulfil  this 
embassy,  he  thought  of  one  of  his  men  who  had  been  sent 
on  a  somewhat  similar  mission  some  years  before  when  on 
a  voyage  to  the  Guinea  coast.  This  man,  with  some  of 
his  Indian  interpreters,  he  therefore  resolved  to  send ; 
if  they  were  successful  in  finding  the  king  and  establish 
ing  friendly  relations  with  him,  the  Admiral  would  later 
on  endeavor  to  open  communication  with  the  Great  Khan 
himself. 

Rejoiced  with  this  solution  of  his  perplexities,  Colon 
watched  the  grand  and  beautiful  outlines  of  the  Cuban  coast 
slip  slowly  past  his  ships,  never  doubting  for  a  moment  now 
that  somewhere  beyond  the  mountains  of  that  wild  interior 
lay  the  populous  cities  of  the  Chinese  Kingdom  and  the 
fabled  riches  of  Far  Cathay.  Such  robust  structures  can  the 
imagination  rear  on  the  corner-stone  of  fancy,  that  he  and 
his  lieutenant  both  had  built  up  the  whole  continent  of  Asia, 
with  all  its  teeming  millions,  on  the  airy  gestures  of  a  naked 
savage. 

As  though  to  warn  them  of  their  error,  no  sooner  did  they 
reach  the  distant  headland  than  a  strong  adverse  gale  drove 
them  back  on  their  course.  Seeing  that  it  was  hopeless  to 
try  to  double  it  until  a  change  of  wind  occurred,  the  Ad 
miral  led  the  way  back  to  the  safe  harbor  they  had  left 
earlier  in  the  day  at  the  River  of  the  Tides,  christening  the 
point  he  had  failed  to  pass  the  Cape  of  Palms,  from  the 


IN  SEARCH  OF  FAR   CATHAY.  165 

great  forests  of  those  trees  which  clothed  its  outlines  from 
base  to  summit.1 

1  The  harbor  of  San  Salvador  entered  by  Columbus  on  first  nearing 
the  Cuban  coast  is  supposed  to  have  been  either  the  modern  Caravelas 
Grandes  or  the  Bay  of  Nipe.  His  course  along  the  northern  shores 
of  Cuba  is  not  easy  to  follow  in  detail  upon  the  charts  of  to-day ;  but 
those  interested  will  find  it  ably  discussed  by  Mackenzie  in  the  Ap 
pendix  to  Irving's  "  Columbus,"  by  Becher  in  his  "  Landfall  of  Co 
lumbus,"  by  Fox  in  the  United  States  Coast  Survey  Reports  for  1880, 
and  by  Murdock  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  United  States  Naval  In 
stitute  for  April,  1884."  These  are  all  easily  accessible  ;  but  the  student 
will  wish  to  examine  the  arguments  of  Von  Humboldt,  Varnhagen, 
and  the  other  foreign  critics  as  well. 


XIV. 
THE   EMBASSY  TO  WHOM   IT   MIGHT   CONCERN. 

THE  next  morning,  the  ist  of  November,  as  the 
Spaniards  rowed  toward  the  shore,  the  natives  again 
deserted  their  village  and  took  refuge  in  the  woods,  despite 
the  Admiral's  precautions  on  his  previous  visit  to  convince 
them  of  his  kindly  intentions.  When  the  sailors  had  filled 
their  casks  with  water  and  were  returning  to  the  ships,  a 
single  Indian  emerged  from  behind  the  trees  and  stood 
watching  their  departure.  Apparently  he  was  acting  as 
sentinel  for  his  companions ;  for  he  maintained  stolidly  his 
position,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  ships,  as  if  waiting  to 
see  what  the  strangers  should  do  next.  After  breakfasting 
the  Admiral  landed  again,  taking  with  him  an  interpreter  to 
communicate  with  the  solitary  native  who  so  persistently 
was  observing  their  every  movement.  The  interpreter  as 
soon  as  he  came  within  speaking  distance  called  out  that 
there  was  no  cause  for  fear ;  that  the  white  men  were  not 
soldiers  of  the  Great  Khan,  and  would  do  no  harm  to  the 
people  of  the  village,  but  would  rather  make  them  rich 
presents,  as  they  had  done  to  the  natives  of  the  other  islands, 
whose  good  friends  they  were.  This,  at  all  events,  is  the 
speech  the  Admiral  told  his  own  Indian  to  make.  How 
much  either  the  savage  in  the  boat  or  the  one  on  shore 
knew  of  the  Tartar  Emperor  of  China  is  problematical ;  but 
no  doubt  the  interpreter  realized  that  he  was  to  make  friends 
with  the  man  on  the  beach,  and  said  as  much  to  him.  On 
hearing  his  declaration  others  of  the  natives  left  their  hiding- 


EMBASSY  TO   WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN.       l6/ 

places  and  drew  near  to  the  water's  edge  ;  so  the  interpreter 
leaped  overboard  and  swam  ashore,  where  he  was  well  re 
ceived  by  them  and  conducted  into  one  of  the  cabins  near 
by.  He  must  soon  have  convinced  them  that  no  harm  was 
intended  ;  for  shortly  after  a  number  of  them  came  running 
down  to  the  water,  and  launching  fifteen  or  twenty  of  their 
canoes,  paddled  out  to  the  boat,  which  returned  to  the  ship 
followed  by  the  whole  flotilla.  The  savages,  as  usual,  wished 
to  barter  their  cotton  and  other  possessions  for  the  trinkets 
'  of  the  Spaniards ;  but  the  Admiral  forbade  his  men  to  take 
anything  at  all  except  gold.  This  he  tried  to  make  the  In 
dians  comprehend  was  the  only  thing  the  strangers  wanted. 
So  far  these  people  gave  no  signs  of  using  it.  One  man 
alone  had  a  piece  of  silver  hanging  from  his  nose ;  and  the 
Admiral  found  consolation  in  the  reflection  that  there  must 
at  least  be  mines  of  that  metal  within  reach.  Throughout 
the  day  the  savages  kept  up  a  constant  intercourse  with 
the  fleet,  and  many  of  the  Spaniards  went  on  shore  and 
strolled  through  the  forest  without  molestation.  From  the 
gestures  of  his  native  guests  the  Admiral  understood  that 
their  king  lived  at  a  distance  of  four  days'  journey  from  the 
river,  and  that  they  had  sent  to  advise  him  of  the  arrival  of 
the  white  men  when  the  ships  had  anchored  there  for  the 
first  time.  In  three  days  more,  they  affirmed,  —  or  he 
thought  they  did,  —  a  large  number  of  merchants  would  ar 
rive  from  the  capital  to  establish  traffic  with  the  Spaniards. 
This  could  only  mean  to  his  mind  that  he  was  on  the  borders 
of  Cathay.  All  the  natives  of  the  other  islands  visited  he 
had  already  observed  were  friendly  to  one  another ;  so  evi 
dently  they  were  leagued  together  to  resist  the  invasions 
which  the  Great  Khan  sent  from  the  mainland  to  conquer 
them.  Now  that  he  found  the  people  of  Cuba  of  the  same 
race  and  tongue,. he  felt  confident  that  their  country  must 
be  one  of  the  easternmost  provinces  of  Asia  adjoining  the 
kingdoms  of  the  Khan,  and  imagined  that  in  their  wars  with 
that  powerful  prince  the  natives  of  the  islands  came  to  their 
assistance,  and  they  also  helped  the  islanders  at  need ;  in 
short,  Cuba  was  now  China,  and  the  lesser  islands  were  the 


1 68       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Celebes.  The  Khan  of  Tartary  was  at  war  with  them  all, 
sometimes  directing  his  armies  against  the  Chinese  and  some 
times  against  the  islands ;  and  all  these  copper-colored  peo 
ple  were  allied  to  repel  his  assaults  on  their  independence. 
This  was  so  obvious  to  the  Admiral  that  he  was  anxious  to 
make  peace  with  the  King  of  Cuba,  and  so  open  a  road  to 
the  cities  of  the  Khan  himself.  He  writes  in  his  diary  :  — 

"  I  am  certain  now  that  this  is  in  fact  the  mainland,  and  that 
I  must  be  somewhere  near  the  cities  of  Zayto  and  Quimsay, 
which  are  about  one  hundred  leagues  apart.  That  this  is  the 
mainland  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  the  current  of  the  ocean 
now  comes  from  a  direction  contrary  to  what  it  formerly  did ; 
and  yesterday  when  we  were  sailing  toward  the  northwest  it  grew 
colder  as  we  advanced." 

China  and  Tartary,  Japan  and  the  Spice  Islands,  the  cities 
of  the  Mongol  prince  and  the  treasures  of  the  Indies,  —  with 
such  splendid  phantasies  was  the  mind  of  Colon  filled  as  he 
stood  on  the  deck  of  his  flagship  watching  the  canoes  freighted 
with  naked  savages  plying  to  and  fro  over  the  surface  of 
that  beautiful  harbor  on  the  northern  coast  of  the  Pearl  of 
the  Antilles.  There  is  something  almost  painful  in  the 
eagerness  with  which  his  sanguine  mind  discarded  one  illusion 
only  to  adopt  another  more  groundless  still ;  but  he  reasoned 
from  what  he  esteemed  to  be  mathematical  premises.  He 
remarks :  — 

"  I  took  the  altitude  here  last  night  with  the  quadrant,  and 
found  that  we  are  twenty-one  degrees  above  the  equinoctial  line. 
My  calculations  also  show  that  we  have  sailed  i,  142  leagues  since 
leaving  Ferro;  and  surely  this  is  the  mainland." 

Upon  further  reflection  the  Admiral  determined  to  send 
his  own  messengers  in  search  of  the  King  of  Cuba,  instead 
of  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  merchants  promised  by  the 
natives ;  but  he  altered  somewhat  his  intentions  regarding 
the  personnel  of  the  embassy.  Of  late  his  Guanahani  inter 
preters  had  shown  signs  of  restiveness,  entreating  him  to 
return  them  to  their  homes ;  and  he  feared  that  once  they 
found  themselves  at  a  distance  from  the  ships  with  but  a 
single  Spaniard,  they  might  desert  him  altogether.  He  ac- 


EMBASSY  TO   WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN.      169 

cordingly  chose  the  sailor,  Rodrigo  of  Xerez,  who  had  acted 
as  ambassador  on  the  Guinea  voyage  before  referred  to,  and 
a  converted  Jew  named  Luiz  de  Torres,  a  man  of  much  edu 
cation,  who  spoke  Hebrew,  Chaldaic,  and  Arabic,  as  well  as 
Spanish.     Marco  Polo,  the  Venetian,  when  he  was  travelling 
in  China  two  hundred  years  before,  had  found  numbers  of 
Jews  in  the  territories  of  the  Grand  Khan,  and  the  Sara 
cens  were  known  to  be  neighbors  of  the  Tartar  ruler  ;  so  the 
Admiral  thought  it  probable  that  if  his  men  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  capital  of  Cuba,  they  should  find  some  one 
who  could  speak  one  or  the  other  of  Torres's  languages.   With 
these  two  Europeans  he  sent  one  of  his  Guanahani  inter 
preters  and  a  native  of  the  village  at  the  River  of  Tides  to 
guide  them  through  the  country  and  testify  to  his  compatriots 
as  to  the  friendly  dispositions  of  the  white  men.  To  his  envoys 
the  Admiral  gave  careful  and  minute  instructions.    They  were 
to  follow  their  guide  to  the  royal  city,  provided  the  journey 
thither  did  not  require  more  than  three  days ;  under  any 
circumstances  he  would  look  for  their  return  on  the  sixth 
day.     Upon  reaching  the  Court  they  were  to  present  them 
selves  before  the  king  with  becoming  reverence,  and  inform 
him  that  the  Sovereigns  of  Spain  had  sent  their  Admiral  to 
these  shores  with  a  letter  and  many  rich  presents  for  the 
Cuban  king,  and  that  the  Admiral  solicited  an  audience  with 
his  Majesty  in  order  to  deliver  these  to  him.     They  were  to 
expatiate  upon  the  glory  and  power  of  their  Catholic  Majes 
ties,  and  to  assure  the  king  that  the  Spanish  monarchs  only 
desired  to  establish  relations  of  friendship  with  him  and  his 
allies.     Above  all,  the  messengers  were  to  explain  to  the 
king  that  the  Spaniards  who  had  arrived  in  Cuba  had  no 
connection,  however  remote,  with  the  Khan  of  Tartary ;  on 
the  contrary,  they  would  gladly  make  a  league  with  the  king 
with  a  view  to  establishing  a  profitable  and  enduring  com 
merce  with  his  people.     While  on  their  journey  the  men 
were  to  keep  a  close  watch  for  any  signs  of  gold  or  other 
treasures,  and  were  to  bring  back  a  careful  report  of  all  they 
saw,  particularly  around  the  royal  Court.     In  order  to  show 
the  king  and  his  subjects  what  the  white  men  chiefly  de- 


I/O      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

sired,  the  envoys  took  with  them  small  quantities  of  gold, 
spices,  and  pepper  to  serve  as  specimens.  They  were  also 
well  supplied  with  trinkets  for  paying  their  way  and  making 
presents,  and  an  abundance  of  provisions.  Having  satisfied 
himself  that  his  wishes  were  clearly  comprehended,  the  Ad 
miral  gave  the  men  his  blessing,  and  they  departed  on  their 
adventurous  errand.  Turning  at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  they 
waved  a  farewell  to  their  companions  on  the  beach,  and  then 
following  the  footsteps  of  their  savage  guide,  were  lost  in 
its  depths.  It  is  difficult  for  us  nowadays  to  restrain  a  smile 
at  the  idea  of  looking  for  the  Court  of  a  Chinese  monarch 
among  the  mountains  of  Cuba ;  but  we  cannot  fail  to  ad 
mire  the  easy  confidence  with  which  these  two  men  set  out 
to  seek  for  a  savage  city  in  the  heart  of  so  wild  a  country, 
and  among  a  numerous  population  of  whose  real  character 
they  knew  nothing.  Whether  it  was  contempt  for  the  na 
tives,  or  trust  in  the  Saints,  or  sheer  reliance  on  their  own 
prowess,  we  cannot  tell ;  one  thing  is  clear,  that  on  this 
voyage  and  all  later  ones  the  early  Spanish  discoverers 
never  heeded  danger  nor  counted  their  foes.  They  went 
straight  at  whatever  and  whomsoever  opposed  them,  as  though 
their  mind  could  not  conceive  the  thought  that  they  might 
fail. 

The  next  day,  the  3d  of  the  month,  was  devoted  to  ex 
ploring  the  river  and  its  banks.  The  Admiral  was  much 
pleased  at  finding  an  admirable  place  for  beaching  his  ships 
and  overhauling  their  hulls.  He  rowed  on  several  leagues 
up  the  stream,  until  the  summit  of  a  lofty  hill  showing  through 
the  tree-tops  suggested  the  possibility  of  securing  an  exten 
sive  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  It  was  no  easy  task 
for  him  and  his  companions  to  make  their  way  to  the  top  of 
this  eminence  ;  but  they  finally  accomplished  it,  only  to  dis 
cover  that  no  view  was  possible  on  account  of  the  dense 
growth  which  covered  the  whole  hill.  The  Admiral  did  not 
begrudge  the  exertion,  if  we  may  judge  by  his  record  of  the 
excursion  ;  for  he  declares  that  at  every  step  he  found  some 
thing  new  to  admire  in  the  bushes  and  trees  about  him,  and 
that  his  eyes  never  wearied  of  watching  the  gorgeous  birds 


EMBASSY  TO   WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN.      I /I 

darting  through  the  sunlight,  and  the  vivid  butterflies  float 
ing  from  shrub  to  shrub.  The  fragrant  odors  of  the  woods 
caused  him  to  search  on  every  side  for  nutmegs,  pepper, 
and  other  spices,  and  he  offered  a  reward  to  whomsoever 
should  be  the  first  to  bring  a  specimen  of  any  of  these  pro 
ductions.  A  great  breaking  of  branches  and  peeling  of 
bark  at  once  ensued,  the  seamen  in  the  party  eagerly  assail 
ing  every  tree  which  seemed  at  all  likely  to  yield  any  one 
of  the  precious  condiments.  In  such  pleasant  fashion,  row 
ing  and  sounding  on  the  river,  strolling  and  studying  on 
land,  the  Admiral  and  his  party  passed  the  day ;  while  on 
board  the  ships  the  sailors  found  amusement  in  trying  to 
understand  the  savages  who  continued  to  swarm  about  the 
vessels  offering  whatever  they  possessed,  from  the  dried 
leaves  they  held  in  such  high  esteem  to  their  prettily  netted 
"  hamacs,"  in  exchange  for  a  few  glass  beads  or  a  hawk's  bell. 

The  next  morning  the  Admiral  took  his  cross-bow  and 
was  rowed  up  the  river  to  hunt  for  some  of  the  beautiful 
birds  he  had  seen  the  day  before.  Such  splendid  plumage 
was  a  rarity  to  him,  and  he  thought  that  even  the  mighty 
Spanish  monarchs  would  think  them  no  mean  present. 
After  shooting  as  many  as  he  could  in  the  cool  of  the  day, 
he  returned  to  the  flagship  about  ten  o'clock,  his  usual  hour 
for  breakfast.  Here  he  found  Martin  Alonzo  awaiting  him 
with  another  discovery ;  for  this  Pinzon  was  a  shrewd  and 
diligent  man,  ever  on  the  lookout  for  advantage.  This  time 
he  held  two  pieces  of  a  reddish  bark  in  his  hand,  which  he 
showed  to  his  leader  with  evident  content. 

"  Here  at  length  is  the  true  bark  of  cinnamon,  your  Wor 
ship,"  he  exclaimed.  "  One  of  my  crew,  a  man  of  good 
sense  though  he  is  a  Portuguese,  has  brought  me  this  from 
shore.  He  says  he  met  an  Indian  who  had  two  bundles  of 
it,  and  a  quantity  of  red  nuts  besides,  which  my  man  judged 
to  be  spices  ;  but  under  your  Worship's  orders  he  dared  not 
take  them  from  the  savage,  even  by  way  of  barter." 

"  These  men  of  ours  show  little  wisdom,  Senor  Captain," 
the  Admiral  replied,  showing  some  vexation.  "  This  spice 
is  of  the  rarest,  and  of  an  exalted  value  in  all  the  marts  of 


1/2       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Europe.  I  thank  you  for  your  notice  ;  but  we  must  make 
our  hard-heads  know  that  when  they  meet  with  treasures 
they  dare  not  take  they  must  bring  the  bearers  to  us  to  deal 
with  as  is  best.  We  of  the  command  cannot  be  everywhere 
and  our  eyes  be  on  everything  at  one  single  moment." 

"Your  Worship  knows  the  seaman's  saying,  Senor  Ad 
miral,"  Martin  Alonzo  answered,  "  that  an  order  is  an 
order,  or  else  a  waste  of  breath.  Nevertheless,  I  am  ever 
doing  what  in  me  lies  to  get  my  men  to  bring  to  me  what 
ever  seems  to  them  of  value,  and  shall  continue  so  to  do,  as 
your  Worship  wishes." 

The  Admiral  was  annoyed  that  this  discovery  should 
amount  to  so  little.  Cinnamon  at  that  period  was  one  of 
the  most  precious  objects  brought  to  Europe  by  the  cara 
vans  from  Asia,  and  was  almost  worth  its  weight  in  gold. 
Perhaps  some  doubt  of  Martin  Alonzo's  entire  truthfulness 
may  have  entered  his  mind  as  well;  for  of  late  he  had 
noticed  a  somewhat  more  independent  manner  in  his  lieu 
tenant  than  he  thought  was  due  to  himself  as  representative 
of  the  Spanish  Crown.  But  he  let  this  feeling  pass,  as  he 
had  done  before ;  and  when  the  first-mate  of  the  "  Pinta  "  told 
him  that  he  had  found  near  the  landing-place  some  trees 
which  he  believed  were  cinnamon,  the  Admiral  went  with  him 
at  once  to  see  if  indeed  the  costly  bark  grew  near  at  hand. 
This  time,  too,  he  was  disappointed ;  for  although  the  bark 
was  fragrant  and  had  a  pungent  taste,  it  clearly  was  not  what 
the  mate  had  thought.  That  the  pieces  secured  by  Martin 
Alonzo's  sailor  were  the  genuine  article  there  was  no  doubt ; 
and  calling  the  Indians  about  him,  the  Admiral  showed  them 
the  bark  as  well  as  specimens  of  cloves  and  pepper,  hoping 
that  they  might  recognize  them  and  indicate  where  they 
could  be  found.  From  their  signs  he  understood  the  na 
tives  to  reply  that  not  far  from  there,  in  a  southeasterly 
direction,  great  quantities  of  those  things  could  be  secured. 
Encouraged  by  the  success  of  his  experiment,  he  now 
showed  them  a  piece  of  gold  and  a  few  pearls,  and  in 
quired  if  they  knew  where  such  were  to  be  had.  Most  of 
the  Indians  looked  at  the  articles  with  stupid  curiosity,  as 


EMBASSY  TO  WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN.      173 

if  not  seeing  anything  remarkable  about  them;  but  some 
of  the  older  men  pointed  again  to  the  southeast,  and  made 
signs  that  in  a  place  called  Bohio  a  great  plenty  of  these 
things  could  be  had,  the  people  in  that  country  wearing 
them  as  ornaments  around  their  limbs  and  necks  or  in 
their  ears  or  noses.  The  Admiral  also  understood  them  to 
say  that  some  of  the  tribes  of  Bohio  had  only  one  eye  in 
the  middle  of  their  forehead,  while  others  had  heads  like 
dogs.  All  the  enemies  whom  they  captured  in  battle  they 
beheaded,  and  after  drinking  their  blood,  cooked  and  ate 
their  bodies.  These  monsters,  he  also  gathered,  had  many 
large  ships  and  much  rich  merchandise,  and  were  altogether 
a  powerful  and  wealthy  nation.  What  meaning  the  Indians 
really  intended  to  convey  by  the  gestures  which  the  Admiral 
interpreted  in  so  extraordinary  a  manner,  it  would  not  be 
safe  to  conjecture ;  apparently  some  reference  was  being 
made  to  the  cannibal  habits  of  the  Caribs  and  their  huge 
canoes.  To  Colon  it  was  patent  that  they  were  talking  of 
the  Dog-heads  and  One-eyes  of  the  Asiatic  islands  de 
scribed  by  Mandeville  and  the  Venetian,  and  he  credited 
even  more  than  he  heard.  The  monsters  had  no  terrors 
for  him,  implicitly  as  he  might  believe  in  their  existence ; 
to  Bohio  he  intended  to  sail  at  the  earliest  opportunity, 
unless  his  messengers  should  bring  him  satisfactory  news 
of  gold  and  treasures  in  the  city  they  were  visiting.  So 
far  he  had  met  with  nothing  of  real  value  at  the  River  of 
Tides.  There  was  an  abundance  of  cotton,  to  be  sure, 
which  seemed  to  grow  wild  all  the  year  round ;  for  he  no 
ticed  the  flowers,  open  balls,  and  green  pods  all  growing  on 
one  tree ;  and  some  of  the  other  vegetable  productions 
were  good,  especially  a  large  root  which  tasted  like  chest 
nuts  when  roasted,  and  would  be  a  great  boon  in  Spain ; 1 
but  all  these  bulky  articles  were  not  worth  loading  his  ships 
with.  What  he  wanted  was  gold  and  pearls,  or,  at  the  least, 
spices  and  silk. 

On  the  morning  of  the  5th  he  ordered  the  vessels  to  be 
made  ready  for  beaching ;  the  flagship  was  to  be  careened 

1  Probably  the  Yucca. 


1/4      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

and  calked  first,  and  then  the  others  in  succession,  so  that 
there  would  always  be  two  afloat  ready  for  any  emergency. 
While  the  "  Santa  Maria  "  was  being  warped  on  the  sands, 
the  mate  of  the  "  Nina  "  came  up  to  where  the  Admiral  was 
watching  the  operation  and  saluted  him. 

"By  your  Excellency's  favor,"  the  man  said  in  some 
excitement,  "  I  claim  a  reward." 

"A  reward  for  what,  good  Maestro  Diego?  "  Colon  an 
swered.  "  Hast  found  the  cinnamon  forest  or  a  mine  of 
gold?  There  should  be  such  hereabout,  if  all  signs  fail 
not." 

"  If  your  Excellency  pleases,"  Diego  replied,  "  't  is  not 
so  good  as  gold  ;  but  't  is  better  than  the  bark.  If  my  eyes 
lied  not,  I  have  found  the  trees  which  bear  the  precious 
mastic  gum ;  but  in  my  haste  to  get  hither  I  have  dropped 
the  piece  I  gathered  for  your  Worship." 

"  Thy  reward  is  none  the  less  sure,  Diego,  if  thou  canst 
point  out  the  place.  I  will  ask  Don  Rodrigo  to  go  with 
thee  and  note  the  fact  in  due  form.  Thou  art  very  right 
in  holding  that  thy  news  is  welcome." 

Sending  for  the  royal  inspector,  the  Admiral  requested 
him  to  accompany  Maestro  Diego  to  the  spot  where  he  had 
found  the  gum  and  certify  to  the  fact  of  its  existence.  So 
rare  and  valuable  was  mastic  then  esteemed,  that  its  discov 
ery  would,  the  Admiral  knew,  be  considered  a  matter  of  much 
importance  by  the  Spanish  sovereigns ;  and  he  awaited  with 
interest  the  report  of  Don  Rodrigo  Sanchez.  When  the 
latter  returned  he  declared  that  beyond  doubt  the  trees 
were  of  the  true  mastic  kind,  and  he  produced  some  of  the 
gum  and  a  branch  of  the  foliage  as  evidence  of  the  fact. 
These  the  Admiral  carefully  preserved  for  his  royal  patrons, 
granting  without  further  discussion  the  promised  reward  to 
the  fortunate  discoverer.  His  desire  to  obtain  the  largest 
store  possible  of  gold  and  gems  did  not  in  any  wise  blind 
him  to  the  importance  of  these  less  valuable  productions. 
His  intention  was,  as  we  have  seen,  to  return  to  Spain  in 
April,  and  he  naturally  labored  to  take  with  him  as  great  an 
amount  of  treasure  as  he  could,  as  the  most  effectual 


EMBASSY  TO   WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN.      175 

answer  practicable  to  the  cavillings  and  criticisms  with 
which  his  project  had  been  assailed.  On  his  return  to  "  the 
Indies,"  which  he  planned  should  take  place  without  loss  of 
time,  he  would  provide  for  the  trade  which  he  anticipated 
in  the  other  merchantable  articles. 

That  same  evening,  as  it  was  growing  dark,  the  crew  of 
the  flagship,  which  was  high  and  dry  on  the  beach,  heard 
some  one  hailing  them  from  alongside.  It  proved  to  be  the 
two  envoys,  Rodrigo  de  Xerez  and  Luiz  de  Torres,  who  had 
returned  a  day  before  the  limit  allowed  them.  A  ladder 
was  quickly  lowered,  and  they  clambered  on  board,  accom 
panied  not  only  by  the  two  Indians  who  had  started  with  them, 
but  by  three  others,  who  were  presented  to  the  Admiral 
as  one  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  city  they  had  visited 
and  his  son,  with  a  follower  of  theirs.  When  Colon  saw 
that  the  strangers  were  naked  and  treasureless,  he  knew  that 
he  was  as  far  as  ever  from  finding  the  royal  capital  he  was 
so  anxious  to  reach ;  but  ordering  refreshments  to  be  brought 
his  visitors  and  making  them  every  sign  of  welcome  and 
friendship,  he  called  upon  his  messengers  for  their  report 
of  the  journey. 

They  had  travelled,  they  told  him,  quite  forty  miles  be 
fore  they  came  to  the  "  city  "  the  Indians  had  described. 
The  road  was  a  narrow  path  leading  almost  all  the  way 
through  dense  forests,  though  here  and  there  they  traversed 
broad  savannas  carpeted  with  grass  and  flowers.  Such  a 
variety  of  new  and  strange  trees  and  plants  they  had  passed, 
often  covered  to  the  topmost  bough  with  aromatic  blossoms, 
that  they  could  not  attempt  to  recount  them.  As  for  the 
birds,  their  number  and  kinds  were  infinite,  —  all  wholly 
unlike  any  they  had  ever  seen  in  Spain,  except  some 
partridges  which  they  saw  in  a  meadow  and  the  night 
ingales  they  heard  in  the  woods  as  they  marched  along. 
The  first  two  nights  they  slept  in  the  forest,  not  wishing  to 
stop  at  the  little  villages  of  four  or  five  huts  which  they 
passed  on  the  way,  although  the  people  seemed  to  be 
friendly,  and  showed  no  fear  after  their  Indian  companions 
had  explained  who  they  were.  On  the  third  day  they 


WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA 

reached  a  town  which  from  the  guide's  information  they 
knew  to  be  the  city  to  which  they  were  bound.  It  consisted 
of  only  about  fifty  houses,  constructed  of  canes  and  palm 
leaves,  like  all  that  they  had  seen,  but  very  well  built,  and 
so  large  that  each  house  contained  at  least  twenty  inhabi 
tants.  As  they  approached  the  place,  the  people  flocked 
out  to  meet  them  to  the  number  of  a  thousand  or  more,  and 
after  hearing  the  interpreter's  declaration  led  them  into  the 
largest  of  these  dwellings,  the  principal  men  of  the  town 
taking  them  by  the  arm  as  a  mark  of  honor.  When  all  the 
men  were  gathered  within  the  house,  the  women  were  for 
bidden  to  enter ;  and  the  Spaniards  were  seated  on  stools 
in  the  midst  of  the  apartment.  One  after  another  the  sav 
ages  then  pressed  forward,  kissing  the  white  men's  hands 
and  feet,  and  touching  them  to  see  what  manner  of  strange 
creatures  they  might  be.  From  their  gestures  the  envoys 
believed  that  the  Indians  supposed  they  had  come  down 
from  the  skies,  —  an  error  which  the  messengers  do  not 
seem  to  have  corrected.  After  the  first  excitement  had  sub 
sided,  the  savages  all  squatted  on  the  floor  in  a  circle  around 
the  strangers ;  while  the  interpreter  explained  in  a  long 
harangue  what  great  and  powerful  people  these  white  men 
were,  how  wonderfully  they  lived,  and  what  extraordinary 
treasures  they  possessed,  assuring  his  hearers  that  they  were 
the  best  beings  in  the  world  and  true  friends  of  the  natives, 
to  whom  they  gave  magnificent  presents,  such  as  those  he 
wore.  He  concluded  by  saying  that  they  must  take  very 
good  care  of  these  miraculous  visitors,  and  when  they  re 
turned  some  of  the  chief  governors  of  the  town  must  go 
with  them  to  see  the  great  captain  of  the  white  men,  and 
talk  with  him.  This,  at  all  events,  is  what  the  two  Spaniards 
supposed  their  man  was  saying.  The  only  thing  they  could 
be  sure  of  was  that  he  was  talking  about  them,  and  that 
they  had  to  sit  still  and  look  very  important  while  five  or 
six  hundred  eyes  were  staring  them  out  of  countenance. 
When  this  address  was  over,  Luiz  de  Torres  rose  and  exerted 
his  eloquence  in  Hebrew,  Arabic,  and  Chaldean.  The  sav 
ages  listened  with  breathless  admiration ;  and  if  they  made 


EMBASSY  TO   WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN.      1 77 

no  reply  it  was  doubtless  because  not  a  soul  present,  not 
even  his  companion,  understood  a  word  of  what  he  was 
talking  about.  After  a  becoming  pause  —  meant  prob 
ably  to  testify  their  approval  of  the  linguistic  effort  just 
closed  —  the  Indians  all  rose  and  filed  solemnly  out  of 
the  building,  and  the  women  took  their  places.  They  also 
went  through  the  same  process  of  adoration,  some  of  the 
hardier  ones  pinching  the  unhappy  Spaniards  to  see  if  they 
were  flesh  and  blood  despite  their  singular  appearance. 
When  this  ordeal  was  over,  the  women  too  sat  down  in  a 
circle,  and  the  interpreter  told  them  also  whatever  he  could 
remember  or  invent  concerning  their  marvellous  guests. 
After  a  while  the  men  returned  in  force,  and  the  wearied 
ambassadors  were  allowed  to  wander  about  the  town  and 
examine  at  their  pleasure  all  that  excited  their  curiosity. 
They  showed  the  natives  the  cinnamon  and  spices  they  car 
ried  with  them,  and  their  hosts  signified  that  in  that  neigh 
borhood  these  were  not  to  be  found ;  but  as  the  Indians  at 
the  river  had  done,  they  indicated  that  off  somewhere  in  the 
southeast  these  articles  could  be  obtained  in  abundance. 
As  for  other  cities  and  kingdoms  or  their  treasures,  the  mes 
sengers  could  learn  nothing,  and  in  the  town  itself  was  no 
vestige  of  king  or  Court.  Some  of  the  men  seemed  to  have 
more  authority  than  others  ;  but  the  people  were  much  like 
all  the  savages  they  had  thus  far  seen.  They  were  plainly 
delighted  with  the  presence  of  their  guests,  and  showed 
them  unstinted  hospitality,  setting  before  them  the  choicest 
dishes,  pressing  them  to  eat,  and  insisting  that  they  must 
not  leave  them  for  several  days.  At  night  the  strangers 
were  lodged  in  their  neatest  cabins,  and  received  every 
attention  that  it  was  in  the  Indians'  power  to  bestow. 
When  they  started  out  the  next  morning  to  return  to 
the  River  of  Tides,  the  natives  broke  out  into  extrava 
gant  lamentations,  more  than  half  the  population  of  the 
village,  men  and  women  alike,  endeavoring  to  accompany 
the  visitors  in  the  conviction  that  they  would  lead  them 
right  up  into  the  sky  above.  The  Spaniards  had  to  repel 
the  excited  multitude,  and  made  signs  that  none  should 

12 


178      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

join  them  except  a  single  chief,  who  brought  with  him  his  son 
and  a  companion,  —  no  doubt  for  his  greater  safety.  Both 
in  going  and  coming  they  had  met  with  many  natives  pass 
ing  between  their  villages ;  and  some  of  these  had  smoke 
escaping  from  their  mouths  and  nostrils  in  a  truly  diabolical 
fashion.  They  carried  in  their  hands  a  "  burning  stick  "  and 
some  of  the  dried  leaves  the  white  men  had  noticed  so 
many  times  before,  and  they  would  put  this  stick  in  their 
mouths  and  blow  out  a  cloud  of  smoke,  which  had  a  pleas 
ant  perfume.  The  interpreter  explained  that  by  so  doing 
they  experienced  no  fatigue  when  on  their  journeys ;  but  the 
whole  matter  had  a  heathenish  look  about  it.  As  they  came 
through  the  little  villages  on  their  way  back,  the  savages 
showed  them  much  kindness,  which  they  requited  by  making 
trifling  presents ;  and  now  they  had  arrived  unharmed  and 
well  at  the  ships.  They  ventured  to  hope  that  his  Excel 
lency  the  Senor  Admiral  was  contented  with  the  manner  in 
which  his  orders  had  been  executed. 

The  men  had  done  their  work  admirably,  and  this  the 
Admiral  told  them ;  but  he  was  none  the  less  chagrined  at 
the  insignificant  results  of  their  mission.  He  had  looked  for 
a  powerful  king  and  had  found  but  one  naked  savage  the 
more,  for  a  wealthy  city  and  had  found  a  huddle  of  huts  ! 
However,  he  was  far  from  letting  his  disappointment  be  ap 
parent.  Turning  to  his  savage  guests  who  had  accompanied 
the  messengers,  he  loaded  them  with  attentions,  giving  them 
a  profusion  of  whatever  they  seemed  most  to  like  in  eating 
and  drinking,  and  making  them  presents  of  the  trifles  which 
pleased  their  fancy.  From  them  he  learned  of  other  islands 
and  countries  in  the  adjoining  seas,  the  most  important  of 
which  he  understood  to  be  the  land  in  the  southeast,  and 
thither  he  decided  to  steer  as  soon  as  his  vessels  were  over 
hauled.  He  was  desirous  of  taking  the  new-comers  with 
him  on  the  voyage,  and  even  to  carry  them  to  Spain  to  ex 
hibit  to  the  sovereigns  as  examples  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Cuba ;  but  as  the  night  advanced,  the  savages  became  res 
tive,  and  showed  by  signs  that  they  wished  to  go  on  shore. 
Anxious  not  to  offend  them,  the  Admiral  allowed  them  to 


EMBASSY  TO   WHOM  IT  MIGHT  CONCERN. 

take  leave,  helping  them  over  the  ship's  side  with  all  the 
ceremony  imaginable.  As  they  parted  from  him,  they 
signified  that  they  would  return  in  the  morning ;  but,  as  he 
writes  with  evident  regret,  "  they  never  showed  themselves 
again." 

Thus  ended  the  first  diplomatic  mission  undertaken  in 
the  New  World.  The  Admiral  had  failed  to  find  any  trace 
of  the  treasures  of  Cathay ;  but  he  had  learned  what  use  the 
Indians  made  of  their  "  dried  leaves."  Many  a  jaded  mor 
tal  who  has  tried  their  remedy  for  fatigue  will  bless  the 
memory  of  the  two  ambassadors,  as  the  "  pleasant  perfume  " 
curls  upward  from  his  "  burning  stick  "  ! 


XV. 
THE  EVIL  DEED   OF   MARTIN  ALONZO. 

THE  work  of  overhauling  the  three  ships  was  completed 
by  the  yth  of  November ;  but  a  constant  succession  of 
contrary  winds  detained  them  in  the  harbor  until  the  i2th. 
During  this  delay  the  Admiral  continued  to  explore  the 
forests  of  the  neighborhood  for  further  indications  of  valua 
ble  barks,  gums,  or  fruits,  and  in  especial  tried  to  obtain  a 
quantity  of  the  gum-mastic  discovered  by  Maestro  Diego. 
In  his  younger  days,  when  cruising  in  the  Grecian  Archi 
pelago,  Colon  had  visited  the  island  of  Chios,  and  observed 
the  manner  in  which  this  gum  was  gathered ;  for  that  island 
had  nearly  a  monopoly  of  its  production.  He  now  turned 
this  experience  to  practical  use  by  sending  his  men  into  the 
woods  with  instructions  how  to  tap  the  trees  and  collect  the 
flowing  sap.  They  cut  into  a  vast  number  of  the  trees  with 
little  return  in  the  way  of  gum,  which  puzzled  the  Admiral 
until  he  noticed  that  the  trees  were  in  full  fruit  at  the  time, 
and  that  the  sap  would  not  run  freely  at  that  season.  At 
the  period  of  blossoming  he  was  satisfied  that  they  would 
yield  countless  tons  of  the  fragrant  resin,  and  that  a  large 
and  profitable  commerce  could  be  established.  In  antici 
pation  of  such  a  traffic,  he  remarked  that  the  flat  summit  of 
a  lofty  rock  near  the  entrance  to  the  river  afforded  an  ad 
mirable  site  for  a  fortress.  "  Thus,  if  this  should  prove  to 
be  a  valuable  trade  and  worth  the  effort,"  he  writes,  "  our 
merchants  can  come  here  freely,  safe  from  the  intrusion  of 
any  other  nation.  May  Our  Lord,  in  whose  hands  are  all 


THE  EVIL  DEED    OF  MARTIN  ALONZO.        l8l 

successes,  arrange  all  this  as  shall  be  best  for  His  glory  ! 
One  of  the  Indians  made  signs  to  me  that  this  gum-mastic 
is  very  good  to  cure  the  stomach-ache,"  he  adds  with  a 
rather  abrupt  change  of  thought. 

Charmed  as  he  was  with  his  present  surroundings,  and 
clearly  as  he  perceived  the  value  of  this  port  for  the  pur 
poses  of  regular  commerce  in  the  future,  he  was  impatient 
to  leave  it  and  visit  the  new  land  of  which  the  natives  had 
recently  spoken.  Sometimes  they  seemed  to  call  it  Bohio, 
and  at  others  Babeque ;  but  they  always  indicated  that  it 
was  in  the  southeast,  abounded  in  riches,  was  very  extensive, 
and  contained  a  numerous  and  ferocious  population.  After 
much  misunderstanding  and  confusion,  arising  from  certain 
irreconcilable  differences  between  what  his  informants  said 
at  one  time  and  at  another,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
Bohio  was  the  name  of  that  province  of  Asia  lying  east  and_ 
south  of  Cuba ;  while  Babeque  was  the  island  lying  farther 
off  to  the  southeast.  On  this  theory  he  subsequently  acted, 
although  it  is  not  always  easy  to  distinguish  one  place  from 
the  other  in  following  his  conjectures  regarding  them.  Ba 
beque  was  pre-eminently  the  home  of  gold.  Here  the 
precious  metal  "  grew ; "  and  so  lavish  was  its  profusion  that 
the  natives  of  that  fortunate  country  collected  it  at  night 
by  torchlight  along  the  beaches  and  beat  it  out  with  ham 
mers  into  rods  !  What  was  the  meaning  of  the  gestures 
which  shaped  themselves  in  the  Admiral's  mind  to  this  ex 
traordinary  interpretation,  it  is  useless  to  query ;  but  he  had 
seen  already  so  much  that  was  marvellous  that  this  also  was 
incorporated  among  his  beliefs,  and  the  search  for  Babeque 
became  the  leading  motive  of  his  immediate  actions. 

He  was  beginning  to  lose  some  of  his  early  confidence  in 
the  sincerity  of  the  natives  and  the  correctness  of  their 
declarations,  and  had  more  than  once  doubted  whether  his 
own  interpreters  were  entirely  frank  in  their  statements  to 
him.  The  urgency  with  which  they  joined  the  Cubans  in 
lauding  the  greatness  of  Babeque  aroused  a  suspicion  that 
there  was  an  ulterior  motive  behind  so  much  enthusiasm,  and 
he  feared  that  they  were  planning  to  lead  him  to  some  island 


1 82   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

nearer  to  Guanahani,  where  they  should  be  able  to  escape 
from  their  masters  and  make  their  way  home.  As  a  measure 
of  precaution,  he  therefore  resolved  to  take  with  him  some 
of  the  natives  of  the  village  at  the  River  of  Tides.  So  on 
Sunday,  the  nth,  when  a  canoe  with  six  young  men  came 
alongside,  as  was  the  daily  habit  of  the  savages,  he  detained 
the  five  who  came  on  board,  and  sent  the  one  remaining  in 
the  boat  back  to  land  without  his  companions.  Before  the 
inhabitants  fully  realized  his  purpose,  he  also  sent  his  barge 
ashore  and  seized  seven  women  with  three  children,  all  of 
whom  he  took  on  his  own  vessel.  This  was  simply  a  bald 
act  of  kidnapping,  undefensible  by  any  sophistry ;  but  the 
Admiral  saw  nothing  censurable  in  the  proceeding.  The 
end  more  than  justified  the  means,  according  to  his  way 
of  thinking,  and  he  was  actuated,  he  believed,  by  praise 
worthy  motives.  He  writes  with  perfect  candor :  — 

"  I  did  this  because  the  men  will  behave  better  when  they 
reach  Spain  if  they  have  their  wives  with  them  than  if  they  have 
not.  Many  times  I  have  seen  the  natives  of  Guinea  brought  to 
Portugal  to  learn  the  language  of  the  Christians  ;  but  when  they 
were  taken  back  to  act  as  interpreters,  and  the  Portuguese 
counted  on  finding  them  useful  because  of  the  kind  treatment 
shown  them  and  the  gifts  they  had  received,  they  would  run 
away  as  soon  as  they  reached  their  native  shores  and  never 
again  appear.  But  if  we  have  their  wives,  the  men  will  be 
anxious  to  serve  us  well ;  and  besides  the  women  will  teach  our 
own  people  the  language,  which  is  the  same  in  all  these  islands 
of  India,  where  the  savages  understand  one  another  and  travel 
about  in  their  canoes.  This  is  very  different  from  what  I  have 
seen  in  Guinea,  where  there  are  a  thousand  separate  languages 
and  no  one  tribe  understands  another." 

He  also  argued  that  he  was  conferring  an  inestimable 
benefit  on  these  poor  heathen  in  enabling  them  to  receive 
the  Christian  religion.  He  remarks  :  — 

"They  have  no  religion  at  all,  and  are  not  even  worshippers 
of  idols  ;  but  they  are  very  superstitious,  and  believe  that  there 
is  a-God  in  heaven  and  that  we  came  down  from  there  to  visit 
them.  They  follow  us  closely  in  all  the  prayers  we  say,  and 


THE  EVIL  DEED   OF  MARTIN  ALONZO.        183 

make  the  sign  of  the  cross  after  us,  so  that  your  Majesties 
ought  to  cause  them  to  be  converted  to  Christianity ;  for  I  believe 
that  if  this  beginning  is  made,  in  a  little  while  a  great  multitude 
of  these  nations  shall  be  brought  into  our  Holy  Faith." 

The  Admiral's  intentions  were  plainly  of  the  best,  and 
he  consistently  showed  great  humanity  to  all  the  natives 
who  came  in  contact  with  him ;  but  the  fact  remains  that 
he  took  these  and  other  savages  captive  without  offence 
committed  by  them,  and  proposed  holding  the  women  as 
hostages  for  the  good  behavior  of  their  husbands.  Nor  was 
he  fortunate  in  the  selection  of  his  prisoners ;  for  the  women 
were  not  the  consorts  of  the  men  thus  suddenly  impounded. 
That  very  Sunday  evening  an  incident  occurred  which  em 
phasized  the  danger  of  wrong  and  injustice  being  done  by 
acts  of  violence,  under  whatever  specious  plea  they  may  be 
performed.  As  the  ships  were  getting  under  weigh  to  stand 
out  of  the  harbor,  a  canoe  came  up  alongside  the  flagship 
propelled  by  an  Indian,  some  forty  years  of  age,  who  made 
signs  entreating  to  be  taken  on  board.  On  being  questioned 
by  the  interpreters  as  to  what  he  wanted,  he  replied  that  his 
wife  was  one  of  the  seven  women  kidnapped,  and  the  three 
children  were  his  also,  and  he  begged  to  be  allowed  to  ac 
company  them  wherever  they  were  going.  Truly  a  pathetic 
picture  that,  on  the  crimson  surface  of  the  placid  river, 
framed  in  its  setting  of  darkening  forest  and  lighted  with  the 
gorgeous  coloring  of  the  tropical  sunset :  the  lonely  Indian 
in  his  little  dug-out  pleading  with  the  mighty  strangers  on 
the  great  ship  to  be  permitted  to  share  the  fortunes  of  his 
loved  ones,  whatever  might  be  in  store  for  them  or  him  ! 
Even  in  those  early  days  the  Indian  had  no  rights  which  the 
white  man  was  bound  to  respect ;  but  for  our  own  part  we 
fail  to  see  wherein  the  devotion  and  self-sacrifice  of  the 
nameless  savage  were  one  whit  less  beautiful  than  those 
which  have  caused  the  name  of  Ruth  the  Moabitess  to  be 
remembered  for  more  than  twenty  centuries.  "  This  greatly 
pleased  me,"  the  Admiral  says  in  his  diary ;  "  and  now  with 
this  man's  coming  they  are  all  consoled,  so  that  they  must 
all  have  been  his  relations."  We  would  rather  he  had 


1 84   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

ordered  out  his  barge  and  sent  the  plucky  native  and  all  his 
"  relations  "  on  shore,  with  a  goodly  gift  of  beads  and  bells 
to  show  his  admiration  for  such  unselfish  courage. 

Sailing  out  of  the  River  of  Tides  at  early  dawn  of  the 
1 2th,  the  fleet  coasted  along  eastward  toward  the  country 
the  Indians  called  Bohio.  Though  he  passed  in  sight  of 
many  broad  riveFS  and  spacious  ports,  the  Admiral  would 
make  no  landing,  but  kept  steadily  onward.  This  he  did 
for  two  reasons,  he  tells  us :  first,  because  he  wished  to  go 
with  all  speed  to  the  island  of  Babeque,  for  which  the  wind 
was  favorable ;  and  second,  because  he  saw  no  large  towns 
or  cities  along  the  coast,  and  did  not  care  to  lose  time  in 
examining  harbors  which  could  just  as  well  be  visited  later 
on.  By  evening  he  was  in  sight  of  the  mountains  which, 
according  to  his  interpreters,  divided  the  "province"  of  Cuba 
from  that  of  Bohio,  and  the  ships  were  hove  to  to  avoid  the 
hidden  dangers  of  the  coast.  When  morning  broke,  he 
resumed  his  eastern  course ;  but,  a  stiff  northerly  gale  spring 
ing  up  and  threatening  to  drive  him  on  the  lee  shore,  he 
put  well  out  to  sea  and  made  such  progress  as  he  could  to 
the  eastward.  That  night,  also,  he  lay  to,  not  venturing  to 
maintain  his  headway  in  a  sea  where  the  Indians  told  him 
there  were  many  islands,  and  being  perplexed  with  the  vari 
able  winds;  but  at  daybreak  on  the  i5th  he  determined 
to  head  again  for  Cuba,  or  Bohio,  as  he  now  supposed 
the  coast  nearest  him  was  called,  and  continue  his  voyage 
toward  Babeque.  When  his  savage  passengers  saw  the  fleet 
steering  again  for  shore,  they  were  overwhelmed  with  terror 
and  trembled  in  every  limb.  That  part  of  the  "  mainland  " 
was  Bohio,  they  reiterated,  where  the  inhabitants  had  but 
one  eye  and  ate  all  whom  they  oould  seize.  Their  repre 
sentations  had  little  effect  on  the  Admiral,  however ;  for  just 
now  he  was  looking  for  a  safe  anchorage,  and  the  number  of 
eyes  possessed  by  the  Bohioans  was  a  secondary  consider 
ation.  The  weather  was  unsettled  and  stormy,  and  he  wished 
to  get  at  least  within  reach  of  shelter.  He  did  not  want  to 
be  forced  to  abandon  his  easterly  direction ;  for  he  had  ob 
served  as  he  had  run  up  into  the  north  and  northeast  that 


THE  EVIL  DEED   OF  MARTIN  ALONZO.        185 

the  air  was  a  good  deal  cooler,  and  he  feared  to  encounter 
the  storms  of  winter  should  he  be  carried  in  that  direction. 
Now  that  he  was  on  the  Asiatic  coast,  he  desired  to  remain, 
and  thus  he  led  the  way  again  toward  land.  As  he  drew 
near  the  coast,  though,  the  wind  shifted,  and  he  found  his 
only  possible  course  was  westward,  little  as  that  suited  his 
plans.  Scanning  carefully  the  shore  as  he  was  driven  along, 
he  saw  no  harbor  whose  entrance  was  wholly  free  from  risk 
of  accident  under  the  conditions  then  prevailing,  for  the 
gale  was  increasing  in  violence  and  the  sea  was  running  high. 
After  seven  or  eight  hours  of  this  unsatisfactory  progress,  he 
spied  a  broad  and  quiet  channel  which  promised  to  lead 
safely  to  a  harbor.  Entering  this  and  following  it  for  several 
miles,  he  was  delighted  at  emerging  into  a  wide  expanse  of 
unvexed  sea,  from  whose  surface  rose  an  infinite  number  of 
mountainous  islands,  whose  summits,  as  he  sailed  close  past 
their  bases,  seemed  fairly  to  pierce  the  skies.  On  one  side 
this  ocean  lake,  or  lake-like  ocean,  was  bounded  by  the 
mainland,  where  rugged  sierras  pressed  down  to  the  very 
water's  edge  ;  on  the  other,  an  endless  prospect  of  towering 
islands  and  waveless  sea  stretched  away  into  the  distance. 
The  Admiral  could  find  no  words  to  express  his  admiration 
and  pleasure  at  the  vista  thus  suddenly  opened  to  his  view. 
If  what  he  had  seen  before  of  this  wonderful  country  had  so 
astonished  him,  what  was  he  to  say  of  this  new  region? 
"  So  many  and  such  lofty  islands  I  have  never  seen  hith 
erto,"  he  writes.  "The  world  cannot  contain  any  higher 
mountains  than  those  which  are  before  me  along  this  coast 
and  in  this  archipelago.  Certainly  no  more  beautiful  ones 
exist ;  for  these  are  free  from  ice  and  snow,  their  heads  are 
covered  with  verdure  and  their  feet  with  palms,  while  they 
slope  so  steeply  that  the  largest  ships  can  approach  them 
without  the  least  danger."  Some  of  the  highest  peaks  were 
so  sharp  and  delicate  that  he  likens  them  to  the  point  of  a 
diamond ;  others  had  flat  and  even  summits  like  tables ; 
while  all  were  densely  clad  with  vegetation.  To  his  mind 
it  was  beyond  dispute  that  these  were  part  of  the  seven 
thousand  four  hundred  and  forty  islands  which  according  to 


1 86   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Marco  Polo  lay  between  Cipango  and  the  continent  of  Asia ; 
and  he  expected  to  find  them  stretching  away  on  all  sides 
beyond  the  horizon.  The  combination  of  mountain  and 
forest  which  distinguished  their  topography  was  evidence  to 
him  that  they  had  concealed  "great  riches  and  precious 
stones  and  spices  within  them."  So  fair  a  paradise,  he 
thought,  was  entitled  to  a  name  of  peculiar  honor ;  and  so 
he  christened  the  island- studded  ocean  "The  Sea  of  Our 
Lady,"1  after  the  Virgin  Mary.  In  closing  his  description 
of  its  attractions,  he  regrets  with  evident  sincerity  that  he 
cannot  do  it  justice,  and  begs  their  Majesties  that  they 
should  not  be  surprised  that  he  dilates  so  on  its  beauties, 
for  he  pledges  himself  that  he  has  not  been  able  to  relate 
the  hundredth  part  of  all  the  perfection  upon  which  his  eyes 
had  feasted.  It  is  not  easy  to  determine  the  exact  route  of 
the  squadron  on  these  three  days  ;  but  it  would  appear  from 
the  Admiral's  description  that  he  had  been  carried  west 
ward  by  the  currents  which  set  along  the  northern  coast  of 
Cuba,  and  was  now  among  the  groups  of  islands  which  lie 
opposite  the  southern  point  of  Florida.  His  biographer 
and  friend,  the  good  Bishop  of  Chiapas,  has  noted  on  the 
margin  of  his  copy  of  Colon's  diary  :  "  If  he  had  continued 
toward  the  north,  in  two  days  more  beyond  doubt  he  had 
discovered  the  mainland  of  Florida."  As  he  did  not,  we 
need  not  pursue  the  subject. 

Cruising  leisurely  through  Our  Lady's  Sea,  the  Admiral 
on  the  1 5th  entered  his  barge  and  visited  some  of  the  isl 
ands,  taking  possession  of  them,  as  was  his  wont,  for  the 
Spanish  Crown,  and  causing  crosses  to  be  erected  wherever 
he  landed.  They  all  seemed  to  be  inhabited ;  but  as  the 
natives  fled  at  his  approach,  he  was  unable  to  hold  inter 
course  with  them.  Around  their  cabins  the  ground  was 
tilled  in  plantations  of  mandioca,  yucca,  and  other  vegeta 
bles,  while  in  the  woods  were  many  fruit  and  mastic  trees. 
On  the  following  morning  he  ran  in  close  to  the  mainland 
and  went  on  shore  with  the  intention  of  exploring  the 

1  This  is  supposed  to  be  the  island-covered  sea  which  lies  to  the 
north  and  east  of  Cape  Cabrion. 


THE  EVIL  DEED   OF  MARTIN  ALONZO.       1 87 

vicinity  and  setting  up  the  customary  emblem  of  his  faith. 
As  though  to  reward  his  pious  labors,  he  discovered  near  by 
the  landing-place  two  trees  growing  in  such  a  manner  that 
the  one  bent  athwart  the  other  in  the  shape  of  a  cross  so 
perfect  that  no  carpenter  could  make  a  truer  one.  Look 
ing  upon  this  as  little  less  than  a  miracle,  the  Admiral  and 
his  companions  knelt  in  adoration  before  it;  after  which 
he  ordered  his  men  to  cut  the  two  trunks  down  and  dress 
them,  so  that  he  might  tow  them  to  the  spacious  port  which 
lay  near  the  entrance  of  Our  Lady's  Sea,  and  there  re-estab 
lish  them  as  a  landmark  and  a  signal  that  the  Christians  had 
taken  possession  of  the  sea  and  all  within  it.  When  he  re 
turned  to  the  flagship,  he  found  the  Indians  diving  over 
board,  searching  in  the  shallow  waters  for  the  conch-shells  of 
which  they  were  so  fond.  He  ordered  them  to  look  for 
pearl-oysters  as  well,  and  they  brought  up  a  number  which 
had  no  pearls.  The  shells  were  so  large  and  handsome 
that  he  hoped  in  good  time  pearls  would  be  discovered  in 
abundance,  attributing  their  present  failure  to  the  unfavora 
ble  season  of  the  year.  The  following  day,  the  lyth,  was 
passed  like  its  predecessor  in  exploration  and  investigation, 
which  more  and  more  confirmed  the  Admiral's  belief  that 
he  was  penetrating  the  limits  of  the  Orient.  In  the  little 
cotias  which  hurried  under  shelter  as  the  Spaniards  ap 
proached,  he  fancied  he  saw  the  large  rat-shaped  rodents 
described  by  the  travellers  to  the  Indies;  and  some  of 
the  trees  around  him  seemed  to  bear  nutmegs,  while  now 
and  again  the  warm  air  was  loaded  with  a  fragrance  he  took 
for  musk.  We  cannot  otherwise  account  for  his  lingering 
so  many  days  in  this  one  locality,  when  he  himself  declares 
repeatedly  his  impatience  to  reach  Babeque,  than  by  sup 
posing  that  he  considered  that  he  was  in  the  Chinese  Sea 
and  wished  to  discover  for  himself,  if  possible,  the  marvels 
and  wonders  described  by  the  worthy  Marco  Polo.  He 
lost  this  day  two  of  the  Indians  whom  he  had  taken  at  the 
River  of  Tides,  and  afterward  transferred  to  the  "  Nina"  as 
being  less  crowded  than  the  flagship.  Taking  advantage 
of  the  liberty  allowed  them,  they  slipped  overboard  and 


1 88      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

quietly  swam  ashore,  in  rude  indifference  to  the  prepara 
tions  made  by  the  Admiral  for  their  solace  in  this  world 
and  their  salvation  in  the  next.  Early  on  Sunday,  the  i8th, 
Colon  ordered  out  all  the  boats  with  as  many  men  as  could 
be  safely  spared  from  the  ships,  and  rowed  to  the  mouth  of 
the  port  which  entered  the  Cuban  mainland  near  the  chan 
nel  giving  access  to  Our  Lady's  Sea.  Here  the  great  cross 
was  erected  on  a  high  hill  whose  freedom  from  trees  allowed 
the  holy  emblem  to  be  seen  for  many  leagues  in  all  direc 
tions  from  the  sea.  The  appropriate  offices  were  said  and 
chanted  to  the  best  of  the  company's  ability,  and  the  har 
bor  was  named  the  Port  of  the  Prince.  On  returning  to 
the  ships  the  Admiral  announced  that  he  would  re-commence 
his  voyage  to  Babeque  on  the  following  morning.  He  did 
not  wish  to  start  on  this  same  day,  he  writes,  "  because  it 
was  Sunday,"  which  is  the  first  intimation  we  have  of  any 
such  scruple  on  his  part. 

Monday,  November  i9th,  the  fleet  resumed  its  course, 
and  worked  to  the  eastward  as  well  as  it  could  with  light 
and  variable  winds.  It  was  blown  so  far  out  of  its  course 
that  night  that  on  the  aoth  the  Admiral  found  himself 
within  an  easy  day's  sail  of  Isabella.  The  winds  were  so 
unfavorable  for  pursuing  his  journey  to  Babeque,  and  the  sea 
was  becoming  so  angry,  that  he  would  gladly  have  sought 
the  shelter  of  his  earlier  discovery ;  but  he  reflected  that  if 
he  did  this  his  Guanahani  Indians  would  unquestionably 
make  their  escape.  They  were  already  complaining  that 
he  had  broken  faith  with  them  in  keeping  them  so  long. 
Their  understanding  was,  they  said,  that  they  were  to  be 
released  as  soon  as  they  had  shown  the  Spaniards  where 
gold  was  to  be  found,  and  this  they  claimed  to  have  done. 
Judging  from  their  subsequent  behavior,  it  is  more  probable 
that  they  were  frightened  at  the  prospect  of  visiting  the 
terrible  monsters  of  Bohio  and  Babeque,  and  invented  the 
excuse  of  the  Admiral's  broken  promise ;  for  it  is  certain 
that  such  a  pledge  could  not  have  been  given  by  means  of 
any  imaginable  signs.  At  all  events,  he  was  not  going  to 
run  any  risks  of  losing  them  just  as  they  were  beginning 


THE  EVIL  DEED   OF  MARTIN  ALONZO.        189 

to  understand  Spanish  and  become  of  daily  increasing  as 
sistance  ;  therefore,  instead  of  heading  for  Isabella,  which 
was  only  thirty-five  miles  off,  he  put  about  and  made  for 
the  Port  of  the  Prince,  which  was  nearly  twice  the  distance. 
By  the  time  he  reached  this  harbor  it  was  night,  and,  not 
caring  to  risk  making  an  entrance,  he  once  more  tacked 
about  and  sought  the  open  sea.  At  daybreak  he  was  forty 
miles  away  from  the  Port,  and  as  the  wind  changed  for  the 
better  he  resumed  his  easterly  course  in  the  hope  of  reaching 
Babeque. 

Toward  evening,  as  the  breeze  served  his  purpose,  he 
shifted  his  direction  somewhat  toward  the  south,  in  order 
to  skirt  more  closely  the  Cuban  coast.  He  noticed,  after 
changing  his  course,  that  the  "  Pinta  "  did  not  follow  his  lead 
as  promptly  as  she  should  have  done ;  but  he  thought  little 
of  this  at  the  moment,  as  she  was  the  swiftest  sailer  of  the 
fleet  and  might  be  standing  on  with  the  intention  of  over 
taking  the  flagship  later.  As  the  night  closed  in,  however, 
he  saw  the  "  Pinta"  away  off  on  the  horizon,  still  steering  due 
east  with  all  sails  set,  and  every  moment  increasing  the  dis 
tance  between  herself  and  the  two  other  vessels.  Loath  to 
believe  that  so  true  a  sailor  and  so  brave  a  man  as  her  captain 
undoubtedly  was  would  be  guilty  of  so  rank  an  act  of  dis 
obedience,  the  Admiral  assumed  that  the  distance  had  misled 
him,  and  that  the  "  Pinta"  must  in  reality  be  heading  for  him ; 
so  he  directed  that  his  own  ship  and  the  "  Nina"  should  take 
in  part  of  their  canvas  and  continue  their  way  to  the  coast 
under  easy  sail.  He  likewise  ordered  that  a  bright  light 
should  be  maintained  all  night  long  as  a  guide  to  the  missing 
vessel.  With  these  precautions  taken,  he  hoped  against  hope 
to  hear  Martin  Alonzo's  hail  before  many  hours  were  past ; 
the  more  especially  as  the  wind  blew  strong  from  the  direc 
tion  of  the  "  Pinta  "  to  where  her  consorts  were  slowly  forging 
along.  The  anxious  night  passed  without  incident,  never 
theless  ;  and  when  the  Admiral  mounted  the  castle  of  his 
ship  as  soon  as  the  first  gray  light  of  morning  broke  in  the 
eastern  sky,  both  ocean  and  horizon  were  bare  of  ship  or 
sail.  There  was  no  longer  possibility  of  doubt  or  error : 


WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Martin  Alonzo  had  deserted  his  companions  and   steered 
eastward  for  some  purpose  of  his  own. 

That  Colon  should  be  disturbed  and  anxious  at  this  foul 
deed  was  natural  enough,  and  his  anger  was  equal  to  his 
indignation ;  but  both  policy  and  pride  demanded  that  he 
should  not  openly  attach  too  great  importance  to  it,  or  con 
fess  himself  to  have  been  abandoned  in  cold  blood  by  his 
chief  lieutenant.  That  such  was  the  case,  and  that  the 
motive  in  Martin  Alonzo's  mind  was  a  compound  of  envy 
and  greed,  the  Admiral  did  not  question.  No  other  solution 
was  admissible.  There  was  no  storm  raging  to  separate  the 
ships,  nor  had  any  accident  befallen  the  "  Pinta  "  to  render 
her  ungovernable.  She  had  ample  opportunity  to  rejoin 
her  sister  ships  had  her  captain  so  desired ;  for  the  wind 
which  then  prevailed  would  have  brought  her  to  them  in 
three  or  four  hours  at  the  most.  That  her  absence  was  in 
tentional,  he  was  convinced ;  and  as  he  reflected  upon  the 
matter  Martin  Alonzo's  object  gradually  grew  plain  before 
him.  Ever  since  the  proclamation  of  Colon  as  Admiral 
and  Viceroy,  the  captain  of  the  "  Pinta  "  had  shown  a  res 
tive  independence  which  ill  befitted  his  inferior  rank.  The 
knowledge  that  he  had  been  largely  instrumental  in  getting 
together  the  fleet  which  had  made  this  gigantic  discovery ; 
the  fact  that  he  and  his  family  had  contributed  a  considera 
ble  sum  of  money  to  the  costs  of  the  expedition  ;  the  belief 
that  he  was  as  good  a  navigator  and  as  wise  a  geographer 
as  this  Italian  adventurer,  and  had  done  as  much  as  he  in 
finding  land  and  securing  these  rich  countries,  —  all  these 
thoughts  had  fostered  his  self-importance,  and  helped  to  feed 
the  feeling  that  he  was  being  unjustly  treated,  and  deserved 
quite  as  high  a  rank  and  as  great  a  dignity  as  had  been  con 
ferred  on  his  commander.  These  sentiments  had  led  him 
imperceptibly  to  assume  toward  the  Admiral  a  bearing  which 
the  latter  found  it  difficult  to  support.  "  Many  another  in 
solence  has  he  said  and  done  to  me,"  Colon  writes  in  his 
diary  when  recording  the  desertion  of  his  lieutenant.  But 
as  two  of  his  ships  were  commanded  by  the  Pinzons,  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  crews  were  Palos  men,  related  to 


THE  EVIL  DEED  OF  MARTIN  ALONZO.        igi 

or  dependent  on  the  three  brothers,  the  Admiral  had 
disguised  his  impatience  at  Martin  Alonzo's  treatment  and 
smothered  his  resentment  for  the  sake  of  his  expedition's 
success.  Now  he  recalled  the  fact  that  it  was  the  inter 
preter  assigned  to  the  "  Pinta  "  who  had  been  the  first  to 
inform  them  of  the  extent  and  importance  of  Cuba,  and  he 
was  convinced  that  the  same  man  had  given  her  captain  some 
other  information  about  Babeque  which  had  inflamed  Pinzon's 
cupidity  to  such  a  degree  that  he  had  forgotten  the  obliga 
tions  of  duty  and  loyalty,  and  gone  to  reap  the  benefits  of  the 
new  discovery  for  himself  alone.  Instead,  however,  of  mak 
ing  sail  in  the  direction  taken  by  the  fugitive  "Pinta,"  the 
Admiral  resolved  to  complete  his  examination  of  the  country 
of  Bohio,  and  then  continue  on  to  the  island  of  Babeque. 
By  so  doing  he  would  not  appear  to  his  men  to  be  distressed 
by  the  action  of  Martin  Alonzo,  nor  would  he  lose  the  op 
portunity  of  learning  the  truth  regarding  this  nearer  country 
of  which  his  interpreters  had  told  him  such  strange  tales. 
His  decision  was  a  wise  one ;  but  it  required  a  stout  heart 
and  a  strong  will  to  reach  it. 

As  soon  as  his  own  Indians  had  realized  that  he  was  steer 
ing  again  for  the  Cuban  coast,  with  the  palpable  intention 
of  resuming  his  explorations,  they  lost  all  control  over  them 
selves,  and  could  scarcely  speak  from  sheer  distress.  They 
repeated  over  and  over  again  that  the  people  of  Bohio  were 
atrocious  monsters,  dog-headed  and  one-eyed;  that  they 
were  ferocious  warriors,  possessing  superior  weapons ;  that 
they  butchered  and  devoured  all  the  captives  they  took  in 
war,  and  made  constant  raids  into  the  other  countries  of 
Cuba  and  the  adjacent  islands,  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
securing  victims.  These  inhuman  creatures,  the  interpre 
ters  said,  belonged  to  a  tribe  called  Canibals,  —  the  name 
since  applied  to  all  man-eating  races  by  their  more  fas 
tidious  fellow-men.  But  the  more  his  Indians  talked,  the 
more  the  Admiral  desired  to  visit  these  extraordinary  people. 
If  they  were  well  armed,  as  his  interpreters  alleged,  they 
must  be  more  advanced  in  the  arts  than  the  other  nations 
he  had  met ;  and  moreover,  according  to  the  Venetian,  such 


192       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

a  race  of  one-eyed  cynocephali  inhabited  some  of  the  islands 
near  Cipango,  and  he  wished  to  see  whether  these  "  Cani- 
bals"  were  not  the  same  savages.  So  he  headed  straight  for 
a  prominent  cape  on  the  coast ;  but  light  baffling  winds  and 
strong  currents  kept  him  off  shore,  and  finally  drove  him  so 
far  back  to  the  west  that  again  he  found  himself  near  the 
entrance  to  Our  Lady's  Sea.  Here  a  landlocked  harbor, 
which  he  had  not  before  perceived,  offered  so  desirable  an 
anchorage  that  he  decided  to  put  in  there  and  await  a  favor 
able  wind  for  resuming  his  eastward  journey.  He  remained 
for  three  days  in  this  port,  exploring  its  surroundings,  and 
finding  that  it  surpassed  any  he  had  yet  seen  for  convenience 
and  situation.  The  country  around  was  fertile,  abounding 
in  palms  and  other  beautiful  trees ;  and  a  large  stream  en 
tered  the  head  of  the  harbor,  rushing  down  from  the  moun 
tains  above  with  much  violence  and  noise.  On  the  flanks  of 
these  mountains  grew  extensive  forests  of  noble  pines  and  oaks, 
so  tall  and  straight  that  they  would  furnish  masts  and  timbers 
for  all  the  ships  of  Spain.  Among  the  pebbles  in  the  bed  of 
the  stream  he  picked  up  stones  which  were  veined  with  gold, 
— "like  those  I  have  found  in  the  Tagus,"  he  says,  —  and 
others  seemed  to  be  ores  of  iron  and  silver ;  all  of  which, 
being  worn  smooth  by  the  water,  he  inferred  must  have  been 
brought  down  by  the  floods  from  the  range  above.  The  sight 
of  so  magnificent  a  harbor  surrounded  by  so  rich  a  country, 
and  especially  the  abundance  of  materials  for  ship-building, 
seems  to  have  acted  as  a  partial  antidote  against  his  chagrin 
at  Martin  Alonzo's  disloyalty.  He  writes  on  the  25th  :  — 

"  It  has  pleased  Our  Lord  on  this  voyage  to  lead  me  always 
from  what  is  good  to  what  is  better;  so  that  everything  I  have 
thus  far  discovered  has  been  superior  to  what  preceded  it, 
whether  it  be  lands  and  forests,  or  harbors  and  streams,  or  plants 
and  fruits  and  flowers,  or  the  people  themselves;  all  of  which 
things  are  different  in  each  place  from  what  they  were  in  the 
others." 

To  this  favored  spot,  when  he  took  formal  possession,  he 
gave  the  name  of  St.  Catherine's  Port,  having  reached  it  on 
the  eve  of  the  festival  of  that  saint. 


XVI. 
ALPHA  AND   OMEGA. 

ON  the  morning  of  the  26th  of  November  the  fleet 
left  St.  Catherine's  and  proceeded  eastward  along 
the  coast.  The  magnificent  panorama  of  lofty  mountains, 
luxuriant  forests,  deep  harbors,  and  crystal  streams  which 
unfolded  hour  by  hour  filled  the  Admiral  with  enthusiasm. 
"  It  was  a  glory  to  see  it  all,"  he  writes ;  and  several  times 
he  came  to  anchor  and  landed  in  the  boats  to  inspect  some 
notably  good  port  or  enter  the  mouth  of  a  river  larger  than 
its  fellows.  Off  to  the  southeast  rose  two  headlands  re 
markable  for  their  altitude  even  in  that  region  of  towering 
summits.  One  of  these  peaks,  he  understood  from  his 
interpreters,  was  on  the  mainland  of  Cuba ;  the  other  was 
on  the  island  of  Bohio.  This  information  caused  him  no 
little  perplexity ;  for  the  natives  seemingly  conferred  this 
latter  appellation  with  bewildering  impartiality  on  every 
fresh  district  they  caught  sight  of.  Originally  it  was  indeed 
referred  to  as  an  island  to  the  southeast ;  but  later  it  had 
been  a  province  of  Asia  adjoining  that  of  Cuba,  and  on 
the  1 3th  of  this  month  he  had  even  been  shown  the  chain 
of  mountains  separating  Bohio  from  the  latter  province. 
Since  then  he  had  supposed  that  he  was  sailing  along  the 
coast  of  this  country,  for  his  interpreters  had  accounted 
for  their  alarm  by  making  him  this  statement ;  but  now 
they  pointed  it  out  to  him  as  an  island  still  in  the  remote 
distance,  and  left  him  completely  in  the  dark  as  to  what  the 
region  was  which  he  was  now  exploring.  There  was  little 
assistance  to  be  had  from  his  Indians  just  then  in  determin- 

'3 


194   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

ing  his  locality ;  for  whenever  he  spoke  to  them  about  the 
coast  or  its  inhabitants  they  turned  pale  and  shook  with 
fright,  although  he  made  light  of  their  tales  and  tried  to 
laugh  away  their  fears.  In  this  uncertainty  he  watched  the 
shore  attentively  for  any  appearance  of  towns  or  cities ;  but 
the  only  signs  of  population  which  he  found  were  the  re 
mains  of  fires  at  some  of  the  landings  which  he  made.  He 
accounted  satisfactorily  for  this  absence  of  settlements  by 
supposing  that  the  population  of  this  province,  whatever  it 
was,  lived  farther  inland  among  the  mountains,  where  they 
would  be  secure  from  the  invasion  of  the  ferocious  Canibals. 
For  his  own  part  he  began,  to  doubt  that  the  latter  were  the 
monstrosities  they  were  pictured  by  the  interpreters.  Their 
name,  he  fancied,  gave  him  a  clew  both  as  to  their  race  and 
nature.  CVz«-ibals  ;  what  more  evident  than  that  they  were 
the  warriors  of  the  Khan,  that  Bohio  was  part  of  his  do 
minions  whether  island  or  province,  and  that  the  fears  of 
the  timid  and  defenceless  people  of  the  other  islands  had 
exaggerated  these  resistless  soldiers  into  demons  of  inhuman 
shape  ?  For  the  time  being  this  solution  seemed  to  recon 
cile  at  least  a  part  of  the  perplexing  contradictions  of  his 
interpreters.  Dependent  as  he  was  upon  exchange  of  signs 
for  the  greater  part  of  his  information,  the  Admiral's  con 
ception  of  any  people  or  place  other  than  these  before  his 
eyes  was  liable  to  alter  widely  from  day  to  day ;  and  this 
gives  to  the  working  of  his  mind  an  appearance  of  fickle 
ness  which  it  was  far  from  possessing.  He  was  sure  that 
in  good  time  he  should  find  Cathay  and  the  Court  of  the 
Great  Khan.  He  was  convinced  that  Cuba  was  the  main 
land  of  Asia,  although  his  mind  was  open  to  correction  in 
favor  of  its  being  Japan  upon  the  production  of  sufficient 
evidence.  As  to  the  other  provinces  or  islands  he  visited 
and  heard  of,  his  impressions  might  have  to  be  modified 
by  circumstances ;  but  this  did  not  affect  his  general  ideas 
as  to  where  he  was,  or  diminish  his  confidence  that  sooner 
or  later  all  would  result  as  he  had  hoped.  Meanwhile  the 
knowledge  that  he  was  certainly  adding  each  day  fresh  ter 
ritories  of  richest  promise  to  the  dominions  of  his  sovereigns 


ALPHA  AND   OMEGA.  195 

gave  him  a  contentment  and  satisfaction  which  served  to  curb 
his  impatience  at  not  finding  immediately  the  golden  treas 
ures  he  was  seeking. 

At  last,  on  the  ayth,  a  large  village  was  seen  situated 
near  the  mouth  of  a  broad  stream  ;  and  this  the  Admiral  set 
out  to  visit  as  being  the  most  imposing  settlement  thus  far 
encountered  in  his  cruise.  As  the  Spaniards  approached 
the  shore  in  their  boats,  the  whole  population  lined  the 
river- bank,  crying  out  at  the  top  of  their  voices  and  bran 
dishing  their  spears.  Some  of  the  sailors  who  had  picked 
up  a  few  words  of  the  language  called  to  them  that  they 
should  not  be  afraid,  as  the  strangers  were  their  friends  ;  but 
no  sooner  had  the  first  few  men  leaped  ashore  and  started 
toward  the  savages  than  the  entire  tribe  broke  for  the  woods 
and  disappeared.  The  seamen  visited  the  huts,  but  found 
nothing  of  interest  or  value  therein  and  upon  hearing  their 
report  the  Admiral  ordered  the  boats  to  return,  and  resumed 
his  voyage.  Later  on  in  the  day  they  found  themselves  off  the 
entrance  to  a  deep  bay  from  whose  shores  an  undulating 
plain  of  wide  extent  swept  inland  to  the  base  of  the  blue 
mountains  surrounding  it  on  all  sides.1  Winding  across  its 
surface  could  be  traced  the  course  of  several  considerable 
rivers,  while  here  and  there  columns  of  smoke  arose,  as  if 
marking  the  sites  of  towns  and  villages.  Enchanted  with 
the  prospect  before  him,  Colon  anchored  close  to  the  beach 
and  went  on  shore,  to  meet  the  natives  if  possible  and  es 
tablish  friendly  relations  with  them.  No  Indians  could  be 
found,  although  the  condition  of  the  cabins  and  cultivated 
grounds  which  were  discovered  near  by  indicated  that  their 
owners  had  left  them  only  recently.  Continuing  up  the 
river  in  his  barge,  the  Admiral  found  at  every  turn  fresh 
cause  for  admiration  and  delight.  Even  Our  Lady's  Sea 
he  was  forced  to  admit,  exquisitely  beautiful  as  it  was,  lacked 
the  varied  attractions  of  this  favored  locality.  As  he  was 
rowed  along  he  called  the  attention  of  his  companions  re- 

1  The  port  of  Baracoa,  near  the  easternmost  extremity  of  Cuba. 
It  well  deserves  all  the  praises  lavished  by  Colon  on  the  beauty  of 
its  surroundings. 


196      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

peatedly  to  the  marvellous  vistas  which  opened   in  every 
direction. 

"  Have  mortal  eyes  ever  beheld  the  like,  think  you,  Se- 
nores?"  he  asked  in 'his  delight.  "Were  I  to  endeavor  to 
convey  to  their  Majesties  even  an  imperfect  idea  of  these 
enchanting  scenes,  a  thousand  tongues  would  not  suffice  to 
relate  their  charms,  nor  would  my  hand  be  capable  of  de 
scribing  even  an  inconsiderable  part." 

These  outbursts  of  pleasure  and  appreciation,  amounting 
often  to  positive  glee  over  the  natural  beauties  of  the  new 
lands  he  was  visiting,  are  constantly  encountered  in  Colon's 
diary.     They  are,  as  we  have  already  seen  in  several  in 
stances,  often  accompanied  by  a  comparison  with  other 
landscapes  in  the  older  world  which  had  attracted  his  ad 
miration  in  earlier  years ;    and  not  infrequently  a  shrewd 
inference  is  drawn  from  the  differences  which  distinguish 
the  two  localities  associated  in  his  mind.     That  his  imagi 
native  faculty  should  have  been  so  extremely  susceptible 
and  yet  that  in  all  emergencies  he  should  have  been  so  im 
mediately  the  man  of  action  and  quick  resource,  is  one  of 
the  many  interesting  contradictions  in  the  character  of  this 
extraordinary  individual.     At  the  present  time,  as  he  as 
cended  the  river,  leisurely  inspecting  one  and  the   other 
bank,  he  remarked  a  grove  of  fruit-trees  so  regular  in  their 
growth  that  he  judged  it  to  be  a  cultivated   orchard,  and, 
under  a  palm-thatched  shed  hard  by,  an  immense   canoe 
which  astonished  him  by  its  size.     These  he  took  to  be  evi 
dences  that  the  people  of  the  region  were  more  advanced 
both  in  agriculture  and  the  mechanical  arts  than  any  before 
met  with,  and  on  returning  to  his  ships  he  planned  to  make  an 
earnest  attempt  to  hold  communication  with  them.    Fortune 
favored  his  design  apparently ;   for  a  week  of  bad  weather 
followed,  during  which  the  fleet  was  unable  to  leave  its  an 
chorage.   Availing  themselves  of  the  opportunity,  the  Admiral 
and  his  men  made  repeated  excursions  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  found  every  indication  of  a  large  and  industrious  popula 
tion  ;  but,  try  as  they  might,  they  failed  to  come  upon  any 
of  the  natives  for  several  days.    That  the  people  were  there, 


ALPHA  AND   OMEGA.  197 

was  evident ;  but  they  succeeded  in  avoiding  the  white  men 
with  singular  dexterity.  A  party  of  sailors  who  had  gone 
ashore  to  wash  their  clothes  and  afterward  pushed  on  into 
the  forest,  reached  a  village  of  some  importance  situated  at 
a  distance  from  the  shore ;  but  as  they  emerged  from  the 
trees,  the  savages  took  to  flight,  and  when  the  Spaniards 
entered  the  houses  they  found  no  one  left.  Another  day 
several  of  the  crew  arrived  at  a  native  settlement  only  to 
see  the  usual  exodus  take  place  as  they  appeared.  On 
this  occasion  they  did  succeed  in  overtaking  an  old  man 
whose  years  reduced  his  speed  to  that  of  the  armed  white 
men ;  but  after  presenting  him  with  some  trinkets  they  let 
him  go,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  Admiral,  who  rated 
them  soundly  for  not  bringing  their  prisoner  to  where  the 
interpreters  could  converse  with  him.  Possibly  the  seamen 
thought  he  was  no  proper  companion  for  good  Christians, 
for  in  one  of  the  cabins  of  this  same  hamlet  they  found  a 
human  head  hanging  in  a  basket  from  a  rafter.  This  they 
brought  to  the  Admiral,  supposing  that  it  was  all  that  re 
mained  of  the  last  captive  taken  by  the  guileless  inhabi 
tants  of  this  happy  land.  Their  commander,  however, 
was  not  inclined  to  believe  in  the  existence  of  man-eaters, 
and  contended  that  the  head  was  that  of  a  chief  or  princi 
pal  man  thus  preserved  as  a  token  of  veneration ;  "  be 
cause,"  as  he  says,  "  very  many  people  live  together  in  each 
of  these  houses,  and  they  must  be  all  relatives  descended 
from  the  same  stock."  The  subsequent  discovery  in  other 
towns  of  a  number  of  these  detached  polls  was  a  strain 
upon  this  charitable  theory ;  but  it  was  doubtless  correct, 
for  we  are  told  that  such  was  the  habit  among  some  of  the 
West  Indian  tribes,  and  we  still  find  it  practised  among  the 
scattered  nomads  of  the  remoter  regions  of  the  Amazon 
and  Orinoco.  With  this  first  head  the  Spaniards  found  also 
a  great  cake  of  wax,  which  proved  a  more  welcome  offering 
to  their  leader,  —  "  for  where  there  is  wax,"  he  writes,  "  there 
must  be  a  thousand  other  good  things."  l 

1  A  note  by  Las  Casas  on  the  margin  of  Colon's  diary  says  that 
this  wax  must  have  come  from  Yucatan,  as  there  was  none  in  Cuba. 
There  certainly  were  bees,  though,  as  we  shall  presently  see- 


198       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  his  enforced  stay  in  this  harbor  the 
Admiral  despatched  a  party  of  eight  armed  men  and  two  in 
terpreters  to  scout  into  the  interior  and  make  a  fresh  effort 
to  establish  relations  with  the  natives.  This  detachment 
visited  several  hamlets,  and  reported  that  the  country  was 
everywhere  well  cultivated  and  thickly  populated,  but  that 
they  had  failed  to  have  speech  with  any  of  the  people.  The 
houses  were  not  only  deserted,  they  said,  but  stripped  bare 
of  all  their  contents.  It  was  obvious  that  the  inhabitants 
had  a  mortal  terror  of  the  mysterious  visitors  who  had  landed 
upon  their  coast.  At  one  place  the  scouts  had  come  sud 
denly  upon  a  group  of  four  Indians  digging  over  a  field  with 
pointed  sticks.  The  instant  they  observed  the  Spaniards 
they  dropped  their  rude  implements  and  darted  into  the 
woods  at  a  speed  which  it  was  hopeless  for  their  pursuers  to 
attempt.  The  scouts  also  reported  that  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  carefully  housed  under  a  palm-thatched  roof,  they  had 
seen  another  great  canoe,  which  was  over  sixty  feet  long, 
and  would  hold  one  hundred  and  fifty  people.  It  was  hol 
lowed  out  of  a  single  trunk,  and  smoothed  and  finished  with 
astonishing  exactness.  The  description  of  this  huge  craft 
excited  the  Admiral's  professional  interest,  and  on  the  fol 
lowing  day  he  was  gratified  by  an  experience  of  his  own. 
He  had  started  out  with  several  of  his  men  to  explore  one 
of  the  several  streams  which  flowed  into  the  bay.  Some 
distance  above  its  mouth  he  reached  a  small  cove,  in  which 
were  lying  five  of  these  immense  canoes,  carefully  drawn  up 
side  by  side  on  the  beach  under  the  shelter  of  the  dense 
foliage  of  the  forest.  From  this  spot  a  path  led  through  the 
woods,  and  on  following  it  Colon  came  to  a  roomy  and  well- 
built  shed,  under  which  lay  a  sixth  huge  boat,  as  large  as  a 
galley  of  seventeen  benches.  This  cove  seemed  to  him  to 
be  a  sort  of  dockyard  where  the  canoes  were  launched  after 
being  finished  in  the  shed  near  by;  and  he  was  greatly 
impressed  by  the  skill  and  intelligence  displayed  in  the 
making  of  these  vessels.  "  It  was  a  pleasure  to  see  their 
workmanship  and  gracefulness,"  he  writes. 

On  the  same  day  —  the  last  of  his  detention  in  this  port 
—  he  succeeded  finally  in  meeting  the  natives,  only  to  learn 


ALPHA   AND   OMEGA.  199 

that  they  were  in  no  wise  different  from  those  hitherto  seen. 
He  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  high  hill  to  get  a  better 
view  of  the  country,  and  there  had  found  a  hamlet,  whose 
inhabitants  were  taken  too  much  by  surprise  to  escape  at 
once.  As  they  started  to  run,  one  of  the  interpreters  called 
out  that  there  was  no  reason  for  fear,  as  the  white  men  were 
benefactors,  not  enemies.  At  this  some  of  them  halted, 
and  on  being  offered  a  handful  of  presents  were  hugely 
pleased,  and  shouted  to  their  fleeing  companions  to  come 
back.  The  Admiral  held  out  beads  and  such  stuff  in  ex 
change  for  the  spears  with  which  all  the  men  were  armed ; 
and  the  readiness  with  which  they  surrendered  their  weapons 
convinced  him  that  they  were  not  very  desperate  warriors. 
Their  arms  were  only  long  staves  of  heavy  wood  hardened 
in  the  fire,  of  the  same  sort  as  the  tribes  of  Amazonia  still 
carry.  From  the  way  they  had  all  started  to  run,  Colon 
affirmed  that  ten  Spaniards  could  put  to  flight  a  whole  army 
of  such  foes.  That  his  estimate  of  their  courage  was  not 
unduly  contemptuous,  was  almost  immediately  proven.  There 
was  little  in  the  village  to  interest  the  visitors ;  but  in  one 
of  the  neatest  cabins  the  Admiral  observed  that  instead  of  a 
single  large  apartment  the  interior  was  disposed  into  many 
small  chambers,  constructed  in  a  singular  fashion,  and  hav 
ing  suspended  from  the  ceiling  over  them  numbers  of  shells 
and  other  objects.  Thinking  that  this  might  be  a  temple  or 
religious  house,  he  made  signs  asking  if  it  were  so,  where 
upon  the  Indians  clambered  up  and  dislodged  some  of 
the  ornaments,  which  they  pressed  him  to  accept.  He 
took  a  part  of  their  gifts  as  curiosities,  and  after  repeating 
his  expressions  of  good-will  started  to  return  to  his  boats. 
On  the  way  he  sent  two  or  three  men  back  a  short  distance 
to  fetch  honey  from  a  tree  which  he  had  noticed,  and  with 
the  rest  of  his  party  entered  the  boats  and  shoved  off  from 
the  bank.  While  lying  thus  waiting  for  his  men,  a  great 
throng  of  the  natives  suddenly  appeared,  rushing  down  to 
the  water's  edge  close  to  where  the  boats  were  riding.  They 
were  painted  red  all  over,  wore  bunches  of  feathers  plaited 
into  their  hair,  and  carried  bundles  of  light  javelins  in  their 


2OO        WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

hands.  One  of  them  waded  out  to  the  stern  of  the  Ad 
miral's  barge,  and  made  a  long  harangue.  This  was  lost 
upon  the  Spaniards,  of  course ;  but  they  noticed  that  at  in 
tervals  the  savages  on  the  bank  lifted  their  hands  up  to  the 
skies  and  gave  a  mighty  shout.  Colon  was  of  the  opinion  that 
they  were  saying  how  honored  they  were  at  the  white  men's 
visit,  and  indicating  that  the  latter  must  have  come  from 
heaven  ;  but  his  interpreters  began  to  turn  a  sickly  yellow, 
and  trembling  from  head  to  foot  implored  him  to  row  out 
into  deep  water,  saying  that  the  Indians  proposed  to  kill 
them  all,  and  were  only  making  a  speech  before  proceeding 
to  do  so.  Finding  that  the  Admiral  would  not  move,  one  of 
the  interpreters  seized  a  cross-bow  from  a  sailor  and  held  it 
up  before  the  crowd  on  shore,  explaining  that  this  was  a 
magical  weapon  of  the  strangers,  with  which  they  could  kill 
all  the  people  in  Cuba ;  then  taking  up  a  sword,  he  flour 
ished  it  toward  them,  declaring  that  by  its  means  the  white 
men  could  cut  off  all  their  heads  at  once.  At  this  threat 
the  whole  tribe  turned  to  run  away ;  but  the  Admiral  held 
out  beads  and  other  presents,  and  leaping  ashore  went 
boldly  to  them,  motioning  that  they  should  give  him  their 
weapons  in  exchange.  Pacified  by  his  attitude,  they  now 
returned  and  surrounded  both  him  and  the  boats,  freely 
parting  with  all  they  had  in  trade  for  any  trifle  the  Spaniards 
proffered.  So  brisk  was  the  traffic  that  when  the  sailors  had 
exhausted  their  beads  and  gew-gaws  they  did  a  thriving 
business  with  fragments  of  bread  and  bits  of  a  turtle's  shell 
which  they  broke  into  scraps.  When  the  honey-seekers  re 
joined  them  the  Spaniards  bade  farewell  to  their  now  dis 
armed  adversaries,  and  returned  to  the  ships.  The  Admiral 
in  particular  was  surprised  at  the  conduct  of  the  savages, 
and  did  not  know  which  to  hold  in  the  lower  esteem,  — 
the  crowd  of  Indians  who  had  fled  at  the  sight  of  a  sword 
shaken  by  the  terrified  interpreter,  or  this  person  himself,  who 
was  still  shivering  from  fear,  although  the  savages  were  out 
of  view  and  he  himself  was  in  a  place  of  safety.  "  And  he 
was  a  tall  fellow,  and  muscular  withal,"  Colon  writes  in  evi 
dent  disgust. 


ALPHA   AND   OMEGA.  2OI 

On  the  morning  of  December  4  a  light  wind  sprang  up 
from  a  favoring  quarter,  and  the  two  vessels  left  their  pleas 
ant  anchorage  in  the  beautiful  harbor  of  Puerto  Santo  (the 
Holy  Port) ,  as  the  Admiral  had  named  it,  —  whether  from  the 
supposed  temple  near  by  or  from  a  kindly  remembrance  of 
the  distant  Portuguese  island  where  his  wife's  father  had 
been  governor  in  long-past  days  we  cannot  know.  The 
wind  held  fair ;  and  all  day  long  the  little  squadron  held  its 
course  eastward  along  the  coast,  passing  new  ports  and 
rivers  and  steering  from  cape  to  cape  as  long  as  daylight 
lasted.  Through  the  night  he  lay  hove  to  off  one  of  these 
commanding  headlands,  anxious  to  continue  his  cruise  by 
daylight,  so  as  to  examine  with  care  the  whole  extent  of 
coast.  At  sunrise  on  the  5th  he  resumed  his  easterly  voy 
age  for  eight  or  ten  miles  toward  a  steep  and  lofty  promon 
tory  which  closed  the  coast-line  in  that  direction.  On 
reaching  this  point  and  rounding  it,  he  saw  that  beyond  the 
coast  ran  no  longer  east,  but  trending  for  a  short  distance 
south,  made  a  sharp  turn  backward,  and  stretched  on  in 
definitely  to  the  southwest.  This  was  clearly  the  end,  at 
least  to  the  east,  of  the  land  he  had  been  following.  Whether 
it  was  the  eastern  point  of  Asia  or  of  Japan,  he  could  not 
satisfactorily  determine.  The  interpreters  constantly  re 
ferred  to  Cuba  as  an  island ;  but  he  had  sailed  for  such  an 
unheard  of  distance  along  the  coast  that  he  could  scarcely 
believe  it  to  be  any  other  than  the  proper  continent  of 
Asia.  Now  that  he  had  reached  this  abrupt  termination  of 
the  shore,  his  faith  was  somewhat  shaken  as  to  its  being 
terra  firma,  and  he  resumed  in  his  diary  the  use  of  the 
name  Juana,  which  he  had  given  to  it  as  an  island.  In  this 
doubt  as  to  the  true  character  of  Cuba  he  continued  during 
the  rest  of  this  voyage  and  after  his  return  to  Spain ;  but  on 
his  second  voyage  to  the  Indies  in  the  following  year  he 
reached  the  positive  conclusion  that  it  was  the  veritable 
Asian  mainland,  and  in  this  conviction  remained  to  the  day 
of  his  death. 

Meantime,  as  he  debated  the  problem,  the  wind  was 
bearing  him  along  the  eastern  face  of  the  glorious  island  to- 


2O2        WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

ward  the  noble  headland  we  now  call  Cape  Maysi.  Whether 
to  pursue  the  new  trend  of  this  same  co^st  and  follow  it 
into  the  south  and  west,  or  to  make  direct  for  the  faint  blue 
outline  in  the  eastern  sky  where  the  interpreters  again  in 
sisted  that  Bohio  lay,  was  a  dilemma  which,  he  records,  gave 
him  much  concern.  To  go  northeast  in  search  of  the  once 
vaunted  Babeque  was  out  of  the  question ;  for  the  prevail 
ing  winds  would  not  permit.  After  much  deliberation  he 
decided  to  steer  for  Bohio,  reserving  the  continuation  of  his 
Cuban  cruise  for  another  opportunity.  Altering  his  course, 
therefore,  he  stood  for  the  land  to  the  east,  with  all  sails 
set  to  a  favoring  gale,  and  the  lofty  mountains  of  the 
beautiful  region  he  was  leaving  astern  melting  little  by  little 
into  the  hazy  distance  as  those  ahead  gained  form  and 
substance. 

The  cape  which  lay  farthest  toward  the  rising  sun  on  the 
coast  now  rapidly  dropping  below  the  horizon,  he  called 
Alpha  and  Omega ;  because  it  appeared  to  be  the  first  ex 
tremity  of  the  mainland  as  it  was  approached  from  the  Old 
World,  and  the  last  to  be  seen  by  those  who  left  the  New. 
In  the  stormy  years  of  his  later  life  Colon  must  have  looked 
back  with  heartfelt  longing  at  the  weeks  of  unalloyed  de 
light  which  followed  his  advent  to  the  wonderful  western 
world,  and  yearned  to  be  again  drifting  with  his  little  vessels 
along  the  mountain-crowned  coast  which  he  had  taken  for 
the  empire  of  Cathay.  He  wrote  in  his  diary  while  lying 
wind-bound  in  the  Holy  Port :  — 

"  It  is  beyond  dispute,  your  Majesties,  that  where  such  lands 
exist  there  must  be  an  infinite  variety  of  valuable  products : 
but  I  am  not  stopping  long  in  any  one  place,  as  I  desire  to  visit 
as  many  countries  as  possible,  in  order  to  give  an"  account  of 
them  to  your  Highnesses.  Besides,  I  do  not  know  the  language 
of  these  people,  and  they  do  not  understand  me,  nor  do  I  or  any 
one  with  me  understand  them.  These  Indians  I  am  carrying 
with  me  as  interpreters  very  often  mistake  one  thing  for  another, 
and  I  cannot  trust  them,  as  they  have  many  times  tried  to  run 
away.  Nevertheless,  if  it  pleases  Our  Lord,  I  will  see  as  much 
as  I  can,  and  little  by  little  shall  go  on  learning  and  comprehend 
ing  what  they  say ;  and  I  will  make  the  people  in  my  service 


ALPHA   AND  OMEGA.  2O3 

acquire  this  language,  for  I  have  observed  that  thus  far  all  the 
natives  use  the  same  tongue. 

"  And  I  certify  to  your  Majesties  that  I  do  not  believe  that  be 
neath  the  sun  there  can  be  any  lands  which  are  superior  to  these 
in  fertility,  in  the  moderation  of  heat  and  cold,  or  in  the  abundance 
of  plentiful  and  wholesome  waters.  These  are  not  in  any  respect 
like  the  streams  on  the  coast  of  Guinea,  which  are  all  pesti 
lential  ;  for  up  to  the  present  time,  God  be  praised,  out  of  all 
my  people  there  is  not  a  single  one  who  has  had  so  much  as  a 
headache,  —  except  one  old  man  who  suffered  from  a  trouble  he 
has  had  all  his  life,  and  he  was  well  again  at  the  end  of  two  days. 
And  in  saying  this  I  speak  of  all  three  ships. 

"  In  the  interior  of  this  country  I  believe  that  great  cities  are 
to  be  found,  and  a  population  without  number,  and  many  articles 
of  great  value,  and  that  both  with  those  countries  I  have  already 
discovered  and  the  others  I  hope  to  find  before  returning  to 
Castile,  all  Christendom  will  establish  a  commerce,  and  especially 
Spain,  to  whom  they  must  all  be  subject.  And  I  venture  to  say 
that  your  Highnesses  should  not  permit  any  foreigner  to  trade 
or  set  his  foot  here  except  Catholic  Christians,  since  the  object 
and  beginning  of  this  discovery  were  the  spread  and  glory  of 
the  Catholic  religion;  and  that  no  one  should  be  allowed  to 
come  to  this  part  of  the  world  who  is  not  a  good  Christian." 

Such  were  the  estimates  Colon  had  formed  of  Cuba  and 
the  plans  he  made  for  its  future.  Their  Majesties  were 
careful  enough  to  see  that  "no  foreigner  set  his  foot"  in 
their  new  dominions ;  but  as  to  the  other  recommendations 
of  the  Admiral  they  were  wasted  words.  Even  in  those 
times  there  was  no  lack  of  critics  who  looked  upon  the  dis 
coverer  as  a  sentimental  enthusiast.  The  gold  he  found  was 
useful  to  hire  soldiers  and  buy  materials  for  French  or  Italian 
wars.  As  for  the  "  spread  and  glory  of  the  Catholic  re 
ligion,"  — paciencia  ! 

The  sun  was  getting  low  when  the  ships  drew  near  enough 
to  the  coast  of  what  we  now  call  Hayti  for  the  Admiral  to 
distinguish  the  grand  mountain  ranges  and  broad  savannas 
which  make  this  island  only  little  less  fair  to  the  eyes  than 
its  lordly  neighbor  to  the  west.  Steering  for  the  nearest  cape, 
the  one  we  know  as  Mole  St.  Nicholas,  he  reached  the 
coast  too  late  to  anchor  that  night.  The  purple  shadows  of 
the  distant  summits  had  already  given  way  to  the  darker 


2O4   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

hues  of  approaching  night;  and  over  the  level  prairies, 
which  but  a  few  moments  since  were  aglow  with  the  gorgeous 
coloring  of  sunset,  the  deepening  gloom  of  the  hurried  twi 
light  had  settled.  The  "  Nina  "  was  able,  with  much  caution, 
to  run  in  close  to  shore  and  make  her  way  to  a  secure  anchor 
age  beneath  the  headland ;  but  the  flagship  stood  off  and 
on,  waiting  for  the  light  of  day  before  following  her  consort's 
lead.  In  the  morning,  as  a  consequence,  she  was  several 
leagues  away  from  the  point  where  the  "  Nina  "  lay,  and  the 
Admiral  made  haste  to  rejoin  his  companion.  Going  ashore 
early  in  the  day,  he  took  possession  of  his  new  discovery, 
calling  the  cape  and  harbor  where  he  was  St.  Nicholas, 
after  the  saint  on  whose  festival  he  had  reached  the  land. 
To  the  other  points  and  bays  which  he  had  seen  he  gave 
such  names  as  his  fancy  or  that  of  his  associates  dictated,  — 
the  cape  of  the  Star,  of  the  Elephant,  and  so  on.  The 
country  near  his  landing-place  he  found  to  be  well  under 
cultivation.  The  forests  were  not  so  dense  as  those  of  Cuba ; 
and  among  their  trees  were  many  he  thought  resembled 
those  of  Spain,  while  others  he  believed  would  be  found  to 
produce  spices  and  precious  gums.  The  plain  which  spread 
away  inland  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains  resembled  to  his 
fancy  the  famous  vega  of  Cordova  in  Castile,  and  the  thick 
turf  of  grass  and  flowers  with  which  it  was  carpeted  increased 
the  likeness.  The  nights,  too,  were  cooler  than  those  of  Cuba, 
and  the  climate  more  nearly  approximated  that  of  October 
in  Spain.  In  fact,  so  strongly  was  he  reminded  of  the 
cwuntry  of  his  adoption  by  all  he  saw  in  this  latest  landfall 
that  he  christened  it  Hispaniola,  or  Little  Spain,  —  a  name 
destined  to  be  as  famous  for  the  wealth  and  surpassing  fer 
tility  of  its  territory  as  for  the  misery  and  sufferings  of  its 
unhappy  population.  As  yet  the  natives  had  only  been  seen 
at  a  distance ;  but  from  the  swarm  of  canoes  which  appeared 
as  the  day  wore  on,  the  Admiral  judged  that  the  country  must 
be  thickly  inhabited.  This  opinion  was  confirmed  by  the 
large  number  of  smoke  columns  visible  by  daylight  and  of 
fires  at  night,  which  he  descried  in  the  interior,  and  which  he 
knew  not  whether  to  attribute  to  the  existence  of  villages  in 


ALPHA   AND   OMEGA.  205 

the  places  where  they  were  seen,  or  to  consider  as  signals 
lighted  by  the  people  near  the  sea  to  warn  their  allies  inland 
of  the  approach  of  enemies.  His  experience  in  the  Moorish 
war  and  along  the  Barbary  coast  inclined  him  to  accept  the 
latter  explanation. 

For  the  next  five  days  the  ships  sailed  leisurely  eastward 
from  Cape  St.  Nicholas,  examining  the  spacious  harbors 
of  the  northern  shores  of  Hayti  (or,  rather,  of  Hispaniola, 
as  we  should  call  it  hereafter)  and  exploring  the  country 
adjacent  to  them.  To  a  large  island  lying  some  ten  or 
twelve  miles  north  of  the  main  coast  he  gave  the  name  of 
Tortugas,  from  the  shoals  of  turtles  thereabouts  encountered, 
—  a  spot  afterward  known  to  history  as  the  chosen  home 
of  the  buccaneers  and  freebooters  of  the  Spanish  Main. 
Each  day  of  his  progress  increased  Colon's  impression  of 
the  likeness  between  this  lesser  Spain  and  the  greater  one 
beyond  the  Atlantic ;  and  he  remarks  that  even  the  fish  the 
sailors  caught  in  their  nets  and  the  birds  they  heard  singing 
in  the  groves  were  like  those  of  the  old  country.  Wishing 
to  learn  something  of  the  natives,  he  sent  six  of  his  stoutest 
and  most  intelligent  men,  whom  he  armed  well,  to  push  a 
few  leagues  inland  and  see  what  traces  they  could  find  of 
town  or  hamlet.  They  reported,  on  their  return,  that  they 
had  found  no  village  at  all,  but  only  a  few  scattered  huts 
with  the  vestiges  of  fires  at  many  places  on  their  route.  The 
whole  district  was  well  cultivated,  they  said,  and  broad 
paths  traversed  it  in  every  direction,  so  that  a  large  popu 
lation  must  be  somewhere  near. 

The  Admiral  was  eager  to  continue  his  course  along  the 
shores  of  Hispaniola,  in  order  to  learn  its  character  and 
extent  with  as  little  delay  as  might  be ;  but  the  winds  held 
him  prisoner  for  several  days  in  a  harbor  opposite  Tortugas, 
which  he  had  designated  as  Port  Conception  on  reaching  it 
the  yth  of  the  month.  His  Indian  interpreters,  either  to 
terrify  him,  or  because  they  knew  no  better  themselves,  or 
perhaps  from  a  misconception  of  their  signs  and  broken 
Spanish,  now  perplexed  him  mightily  with  their  description 
of  his  present  locality.  Bohio  was  no  longer  an  island,  and 


2O6       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

Hispaniola  was  not  Bohio  at  all.  The  real  region  of  that 
name  was  on  the  southern  side  of  Hispaniola,  and  was  vastly 
larger  than  Cuba,  —  so  great,  indeed,  that  the  ships  could 
never  sail  around  it.  It  was  from  this  more  remote  country, 
it  now  seemed,  that  the  Canibals  were  wont  to  come  to 
harry  the  islands  and  steal  the  inhabitants.  Hispaniola  was 
an  island  by  itself,  and  was  named  Aiti  or  Hayti.  As  for 
Babeque,  it  was  somewhere  off  beyond  Tortuga,  and  was 
very  great  and  rich.  What  they  meant  we  cannot  hope  to 
ascertain,  interesting  as  it  would  be  to  know  the  extent  to 
which  any  acquaintance  with  geography  was  common  among 
the  natives.  It  is  possible  that  Bohio  was  the  mainland  of 
South  America,  and  the  Canibals  were  the  Caribs  of  Guiana 
and  the  Windward  Islands;  or  it  may  have  been  Yucatan 
and  Mexico.  Any  of  these  could  have  been,  and  no  doubt 
were  reached  by  the  great  canoes  of  Cuba  and  the  islands. 
Such  boats  still  make  voyages  only  little  less  adventurous. 
Possibly,  again,  this  name  may  have  indicated  San  Domingo, 
the  eastern  portion  of  Hispaniola,  where  certainly  gold 
abounded  and  cannibalism  was  and  still  is  practised.  Ba 
beque  may  have  been  Jamaica,  or  one  of  the  Lesser  Antilles, 
or  perhaps,  as  he  had  surmised,  only  a  fiction  of  the  simple 
Indians  to  get  the  Admiral  to  go  back  nearer  to  their  native 
Guanahani.  At  all  events,  it  is  apparent  that  he  understood 
as  little  what  they  meant  as  we  do,  and,  like  a  wise  man, 
determined  to  stay  where  he  was  and  explore  the  magnifi 
cent  domain  on  which  he  had  landed.  Later  on,  he  says,  he 
might  search  for  the  other  regions  of  which  his  interpreters 
spoke  so  confusedly,  if  time  and  the  winds  should  permit. 


XVII. 
HIS   UNCLAD   MAJESTY. 

ON  the  1 2th  of  December  the  Admiral  went  on  shore 
with  his  officers,  and  set  up  a  tall  cross  at  the  en 
trance  of  Port  Conception,  "  as  a  token,"  he  writes  to  his 
sovereigns,  "  that  your  Highnesses  hold  this  country  for 
your  own ;  but  chiefly  as  a  memorial  of  Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  for  the  honor  of  the  Christian  religion."  After 
this  ceremony  he  again  despatched  three  of  his  men  inland 
to  make  another  effort  to  find  the  natives.  These  scouts 
came  upon  a  large  body  of  Indians,  and  hailed  them  in 
such  words  of  their  language  as  they  knew ;  but  the  whole 
crowd  started  off  at  full  speed  in  mortal  terror,  so  that  the 
Spaniards  returned  baffled  to  the  shore.  On  their  way 
back  to  the  ships  they  overtook  a  canoe  which  had  come 
upon  the  vessels  unawares  on  rounding  a  point  of  land  hard 
by.  Paralyzed  with  astonishment  at  first,  the  savages  had 
quickly  thrown  themselves  into  the  water  and  swum  to  the 
beach,  leaving  one  woman  behind,  who  fell  into  the  sailors' 
hands.  When  she  was  brought  to  the  flagship  the  Admiral 
was  delighted  to  learn  that  she  spoke  the  same  language  as 
his  interpreters,  and  he  directed  them  to  tell  her  of  the 
strangers'  generosity  and  goodness.  After  she  had  lost 
somewhat  of  her  fright  he  put  a  gayly  colored  robe  upon  her, 
—  for  she  was  before  dressed  mainly  in  smiles  and  tears, 
with  a  bit  of  gold  through  her  nose  for  ornament,  —  and 
having  given  her  a  quantity  of  trinkets,  sent  her  on  shore 
with  an  escort  of  armed  men  and  several  of  the  interpreters. 


2O8      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

The  woman  was  by  no  means  anxious  to  return  to  her 
people,  for  when  they  reached  land  she  declared  that  she 
wished  to  remain  on  the  ships  with  the  Indian  women  she 
had  seen  there  ;  but  at  length  she  started  out  for  her  village, 
with  the  escort  accompanying  as  a  guard  of  honor.  Late  at 
night  these  men  returned  to  the  flagship,  and  reported  that 
they  had  found  the  distance  so  great  that  they  judged  it  best 
not  to  go  too  far  into  the  country ;  but  that  the  woman  had 
continued  her  journey  in  high  contentment,  saying  she 
would  tell  her  people  of  the  kind  treatment  she  had  received, 
and  that  on  another  day  they  would  come  in  numbers  to 
visit  the  white  men. 

The  next  morning  the  Admiral  sent  a  detachment  of  nine 
stout  men  with  an  interpreter  to  push  on  to  the  settlement 
and  persuade  the  inhabitants  to  hasten  their  coming.  This 
party  found  the  town  to  be  some  ten  miles  from  the  sea, 
situated  on  the  banks  of  a  wide  and  picturesque  stream, 
which  flowed  through  a  vast  and  fertile  plain.  To  their 
eyes  the  luxuriant  beauty  of  this  broad  expanse  surpassed 
that  of  the  vaunted  meadows  of  Cordova  "  by  as  much  as 
day  excels  the  night ; "  and  they  quickened  their  pace 
on  sighting  the  houses.  There  were  apparently  at  least 
a  thousand  of  these  in  the  place,  with  a  population  of 
quite  three  times  as  many  men,  besides  the  women  and 
children ;  but  no  sooner  did  the  little  band  of  Spaniards 
approach  than  every  living  creature  in  the  village  started  off 
on  a  mad  stampede.  The  interpreter  pursued  them,  calling 
out  that  the  strangers  were  not  Canibals,  but  friendly  be 
ings  come  down  from  the  skies,  bringing  rare  treasures  with 
them  as  gifts.  The  sound  of  their  own  speech,  with  the 
inducements  it  conveyed,  caused  a  few  of  the  runaways  to 
halt  and  then  draw  slowly  near  to  the  visitors.  As  usual, 
the  example  was  contagious,  and  in  a  moment  the  Spaniards 
were  surrounded  by  an  awe-struck  throng  of  a  thousand 
or  more,  all  with  their  hands  placed  upon  their  heads  in 
token  of  submission,  and  quaking  with  dread  of  the  possible 
fate  awaiting  them.  A  small  expenditure  of  presents  and 
kind  words  speedily  reassured  them,  and  they  then  led  the 


HIS   UNCLAD  MAJESTY.  2OQ 

visitors  into  the  best  houses,  where  a  feast  of  cassava  bread, 
yuccas,  fish,  and  whatever  else  the  native  larder  afforded  was 
promptly  spread  out.  The  interpreter  had  heard  the  Ad 
miral  say  that  he  would  like  to  secure  some  good  parrots, 
and  he  now  said  to  the  savages  that  the  chief  or  lord  of 
these  mysterious  white  men  desired  to  have  some  of  those 
gaudy  birds.  In  a  twinkling  the  Indians  rushed  into  their 
cabins  round  about,  and  brought  out  a  perfect  flock  of 
painted  chatterers,  pressing  the  Spaniards  to  take  them,  and 
refusing  to  accept  any  payment.  In  the  midst  of  this  ami 
cable  intercourse  a  loud  commotion  was  heard  some  dis 
tance  away ;  and  the  visiting  party  were  alarmed  to  see  a 
great  body  of  savages  approaching  in  orderly  array,  as  though 
bent  on  hostile  purpose.  Happily  it  proved  to  be  only  an 
other  troop  of  friendly  natives,  escorting  in  triumph  the  hus 
band  of  the  woman  so  kindly  treated  by  the  Admiral,  who 
was  come  to  thank  these  marvellous  white  people  for  the 
attentions  shown  his  wife  and  the  magnificent  presents  they 
had  given  her,  —  whereby  no  doubt  he  had  been  raised  to 
an  envied  pitch  of  affluence  among  his  neighbors.  New 
courtesies  and  compliments  now  ensued,  so  greatly  to  the 
delight  of  the  Indians  that  when  the  Spaniards  at  last  indi 
cated  that  they  must  set  out  on  their  return  march  their 
savage  hosts  begged  them  to  remain  at  least  until  the  next 
day,  promising  to  give  them  many  beautiful  things  if  they 
would  do  so,  and  saying  that  runners  had  been  sent  up  into 
the  mountains  to  collect  the  best  of  all  they  had  for  the 
visitors.  On  arriving  at  the  ships  the  scouting  party  made 
a  graphic  report  of  their  experiences  to  the  Admiral,  assuring 
him  that  not  only  was  the  country  the  richest  and  most  at 
tractive  they  had  ever  seen,  but  the  inhabitants  were  more 
intelligent  and  handsomer  than  the  best  in  the  other  islands. 
As  for  the  fruits  and  forests,  birds  and  flowers,  waters  and 
air,  the  choicest  regions  of  Spain  itself  could  not  produce 
their  equals. 

Curious  to  examine  for  himself  the  district  of  which  his 
men  had  spoken  so  enthusiastically,  the  Admiral  sailed  from 
Port  Conception  on  the  i4th,  and  after  a  day  of  contrary 

14 


210   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA 

winds,  during  which  he  touched  at  Tortuga,  came  to  anchor 
on  the  1 5th  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  which  watered  the 
great  plain  his  party  had  explored.  The  current  was  so 
strong  his  seamen  could  not  row  against  it  when  he  at 
tempted  to  ascend  the  stream  in  his  boats,  and,  after  towing 
them  for  a  short  distance  along  the  banks,  he  was  compelled 
to  abandon  them  altogether  and  pursue  his  way  on  foot.  For 
this  reason  he  failed  to  reach  the  large  town  visited  by  his 
scouts ;  but  he  had  a  good  view  of  the  broad  savanna,  and 
remarked  the  sites  of  several  important  settlements  farther 
inland  toward  the  mountains.  He  was  as  much  charmed 
with  the  region  as  his  men  had  been,  and  christened  it  the 
Valle  del  Paraiso  (or  Vale  of  Paradise),  on  account  of  its 
abounding  fertility  and  exquisite  scenery.  The  river  wind 
ing  through  it  he  called  the  Guadalquivir,  since  it  reminded 
him  so  much  of  the  one  of  that  name  which  irrigates  the 
lovely  country  about  Cordova  in  Old  Spain.  As  for  the 
natives,  they  fled  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  strangers  ;  and  this, 
with  the  many  columns  of  smoke  he  observed  in  the  interior, 
confirmed  his  former  belief  that  they  were  accustomed  to 
the  incursions  of  enemies,  and  had  a  code  of  signals  for 
announcing  the  arrival  of  invaders  upon  their  shores. 

At  midnight  the  ships  again  set  sail,  following  the  coast  in 
search  of  some  principal  town  where  a  convenient  landing 
might  be  made.  Toward  morning  they  overhauled  a  single 
Indian  paddling  along  in  the  same  direction.  The  Admiral 
was  attracted  by  the  skill  and  courage  with  which  the  savage 
handled  his  frail  craft  in  the  heavy  sea  which  was  then  running, 
and  took  both  him  and  his  canoe  on  board.  The  change  was 
a  welcome  one  to  the  Indian,  for  he  was  feasted  on  bread 
and  honey,  and  received  many  presents  besides  ;  so  that  when 
the  vessels  came  to  anchor  in  a  deep  and  convenient  har 
bor  about  five  or  six  leagues  from  Port  Conception,  he  hur 
ried  on  shore  in  his  canoe  to  tell  his  countrymen  a  generous 
tale  as  to  the  wonders  of  the  white  men.  Near  the  anchor 
age  was  a  large  settlement,  which  seemed  to  be  but  recently 
built,  as  the  houses  all  were  fresh  and  new ;  and  soon  after 
the  Spaniard's  arrival  the  natives  gathered  on  the  beach  to 


'  ffIS   UNCLAD  MAJESTY.  211 

the  number  of  five  hundred  or  more.  Many  of  them  came 
out  in  their  canoes  to  the  vessels,  and  were  taken  on  board 
and  made  much  of;  while  the  crowd  on  shore  watched  the 
extraordinary  crafts  which  had  entered  their  quiet  waters, 
and  eagerly  interrogated  all  of  their  neighbors  who  had  ven 
tured  to  visit  them. 

In  a  short  time  the  Admiral  noticed  a  young  man  come 
down  to  the  beach  accompanied  by  a  number  of  older 
men.  From  the  honor  paid  him  by  the  other  natives  the 
interpreters  declared  that  he  must  be  the  king  of  that 
region,  and  the  older  companions  his  counsellors.  It  was 
with  no  small  degree  of  disappointment  that  Colon  saw 
that  the  youthful  monarch  was,  save  for  an  elaborate  coat 
of  paint,  dressed  only  in  the  total  absence  of  costume 
affected  by  the  natives  of  those  islands ;  but  he  none  the 
less  determined  to  do  his  duty  to  royalty,  and  accordingly 
sent  Don  Rodrigo  Escovedo  on  shore  with  an  interpreter 
bearing  a  handsome  tribute  for  his  Majesty.  Don  Rod 
rigo,  as  became  a  dignified  Spaniard  and  an  officer  of  the 
Crown,  discharged  his  mission  with  as  much  state  and 
propriety  as  though  the  savage  before  him  wore  as  many 
clothes  as  the  Pope  of  Rome.  Bowing  low  before  him,  the 
emissary  presented  his  gifts,  and  asked  the  young  prince  to 
deign  to  receive  them  from  the  Viceroy  of  the  Indies  as 
representative  of  their  Most  Catholic  Majesties  of  Spain. 
The  interpreter  explained  at  greater  length  to  the  king  that 
the  strangers  came  from  heaven,  where  their  own  sovereigns 
ruled,  and  were  travelling  among  these  islands  in  search  of  the 
yellow  metal  which  the  Indians  wore  in  their  noses,  but  the 
white  men  wanted  for  some  less  apparent  purpose.  Just 
now  they  were  anxious  to  reach  the  country  of  Babeque, 
where,  they  had  been  told,  a  great  quantity  of  this  precious 
material  was  to  be  had,  and  on  their  way  thither  had  visited 
Hispaniola,  and  wished  to  make  friends  with  the  ruler  of  that 
beautiful  country  and  take  him  under  their  powerful  protec 
tion.  The  king  received  the  presents  with  a  self-possession 
and  decorum  surprising  in  one  who  displayed  so  scanty 
a  wardrobe,  and  after  consulting  with  the  old  men  who 


212       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

attended  him,  replied  that  he  was  pleased  to  hear  all  the 
interpreter  had  said ;  that  the  way  to  Babeque  lay  to  the 
eastward,  and  there  was  indeed  much  gold  in  that  land ; 
in  two  or  three  days  the  strangers  could  get  there ;  and  if 
they  wanted  anything  in  his  country,  he  would  give  it  to 
them  with  very  great  readiness.  With  that  he  took  his  de 
parture,  followed  by  the  old  men  carrying  the  presents. 
"  He  used  very  few  words,"  the  Admiral  writes,  as  though 
admiring  the  reticence  of  this  savage  potentate.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  same  day  the  young  king  returned  to  the 
beach  with  his  retinue,  and  came  on  board  the  flagship. 
The  Admiral  showed  him  every  token  of  respect  and  honor, 
taking  him  into  his  own  cabin,  and  setting  before  him  a 
plentiful  repast  of  the  best  the  ship  afforded.  The  king  only 
tasted  the  things  offered  to  him,  and  then  passed  them  on  to 
his  counsellors  and  those  who  were  with  them  to  dispose  of 
finally.  The  Admiral  tried  to  explain  to  him  that  the  sov 
ereigns  of  Castile  were  the  most  powerful  princes  hi  the  world, 
and  to  impress  him  with  an  adequate  idea  of  their  grandeur 
and  the  extent  of  their  dominions.  But  nothing  would  con 
vince  his  guest  that  the  strangers  were  mortal  beings ;  to  him 
their  home  was  in  the  skies,  and  the  great  monarchs  the  white 
chief  talked  about  were  the  rulers  of  the  celestial  regions. 

In  the  morning  of  the  next  day,  when  a  party  of  sailors 
went  on  shore  to  cast  their  nets  they  were  overwhelmed 
with  attentions  and  gifts  by  the  natives.  Among  other 
things  brought  by  the  Indians  was  a  number  of  unusually 
long  arrows  pointed  at  the  ends  with  sharp  bits  of  hard 
wood,  which  they  explained  had  been  used  by  the  ferocious 
Canibals  when  they  last  had  made  a  raid  on  the  island. 
The  Spaniards  noticed  that  some  of  the  Indians  had  what 
seemed  to  be  holes  in  the  fleshy  parts  of  their  bodies  over 
which  the  skin  had  grown  in  ghastly  scars,  and  they  in 
quired  how  such  terrible  wounds  had  been  caused.  To  their 
amazement  they  were  told  that  these  men  had  been  cap 
tured  by  the  Canibals,  who  had  cut  out  the  pieces  from 
their  flesh  at  one  time  and  another  and  eaten  them ;  evi 
dently  intending  to  devour  their  prisoners  by  mouthfuls 


fffS  UNCLAD  MAJESTY.  2 13 

instead  of  disposing  of  them  at  once.  The  unfortunate 
captives  had  escaped ;  but  the  terrible  cicatrices  of  course 
remained.  In  recording  this  story  the  Admiral  laconically 
adds,  "  This  I  do  not  credit ;  "  and  we  do  not  blame  him 
for  his  lack  of  faith.  The  people  of  this  neighborhood  pos 
sessed  no  weapons  of  their  own,  not  even  the  rude  spears 
which  the  Spaniards  had  elsewhere  seen.  They  seemed  to 
have  no  idea  of  fighting.  When  an  enemy  appeared  they 
ran  away  and  remained  in  hiding  until  he  had  left  their 
coast,  —  a  simple  and  easy  method  of  resisting  all  invasion. 
They  wore  small  ornaments  of  gold  in  their  ears  and  noses,  — 
sometimes  a  tiny  grain  or  nugget,  sometimes  a  thin  plate ; 
and  these  they  would  gladly  surrender  for  a  few  beads  or 
the  brass  tip  of  a  lace-string.  One  old  man,  who  was  ap 
parently  a  person  of  authority  among  them,  wore  about  his 
neck  a  plate  of  thin  gold  as  large  as  one's  hand.  When  he 
saw  the  avidity  with  which  the  white  men  traded  for  even 
the  smallest  pieces  of  the  metal,  he  went  into  his  cabin  and 
broke  his  ornament  into  little  fragments ;  then  bringing 
them  out  a  few  at  a  time,  he  bartered  them  off  one  by 
one,  thus  getting  far  more  beads  for  his  piece  of  gold  than 
if  he  had  exchanged  it  as  a  whole.  This  greatly  amused 
the  Admiral,  and  he  remarks  that  the  old  chief's  cleverness 
shows  that  these  natives  were  more  intelligent  than  most  he 
had  met.  In  the  afternoon  he  took  an  interpreter  and  went 
on  shore  with  the  royal  notary,  Escovedo,  and  Diego  de 
Arana,  the  alguacil,  to  collect  as  much  gold  as  he  could 
from  the  savages,  and  learn,  if  possible,  more  about  the 
place  from  which  it  came.  As  they  were  conversing  with 
the  old  chief  who  had  shown  the  genius  for  trade,  a  large 
canoe  arrived  from  the  island  of  Tortuga,  with  a  crew  of 
forty  or  fifty  men.  As  the  boat  drew  near  the  beach,  all 
the  natives  present  squatted  down  on  the  ground  as  a  sign 
of  peace  to  the  new-comers  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  latter  came 
on  shore,  they  did  likewise.  This  formality  over,  the  old 
chief  rose  and  made  a  furious  speech  to  them,  ordering 
them  back  to  the  canoe,  and  telling  them  to  be  gone  with 
out  delay.  This  the  Tortugans  did  without  remonstrance ; 


214   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

the  old  man  following  them  to  the  edge  of  the  beach,  and 
splashing  water  over  them  to  hasten  their  movements.  Not 
content  with  this,  he  picked  up  some  stones  and  hurled 
them  after  the  intruders,  pressing  one  into  Diego  de  Arana's 
hand  and  urging  him  to  do  the  same,  which  the  latter  pru 
dently  refused  to  do.  When  the  canoe  was  gone  the  Ad 
miral  learned  that  in  Tortuga  there  was  more  gold  than 
among  the  people  of  the  village,  because  the  smaller  island 
was  nearer  Babeque,  whence  the  gold  was  said  to  come. 
Evidently  the  old  chief  did  not  want  the  other  islanders  to 
have  any  share  in  the  good  things  of  the  white  strangers. 
All  this  made  the  Admiral  believe  that  the  mines  from  which 
the  gold  was  derived  could  not  be  far  off,  and  revived  his 
hopes  of  soon  finding  them.  In  answer  to  his  questions, 
the  old  chief  explained  that  the  gold  country  was  only  four 
days'  journey  from  where  they  were,  and  promised  to  get 
the  Spaniards  a  large  quantity  on  the  next  day.  "  I  do  not  be 
lieve  that  he  can  get  us  much  gold,"  the  Admiral  writes,  "  for 
the  mines  are  not  situated  here ;  but  I  may  be  able  to  learn 
more  exactly  where  they  are."  Accordingly  he  decided  to 
wait  one  day  more  at  his  present  anchorage,  to  discover  if 
possible  the  location  of  the  mines. 

The  next  day,  December  18,  was  the  festival  of  Our  Lady 
of  the  O,1  or  of  the  Annunciation,  as  we  call  it,  —  one  held  in 
very  particular  esteem  by  the  maritime  nations  of  Southern 
Europe.  In  honor  of  the  occasion  the  ships  were  dressed 
with  all  their  flags,  and  the  officers  and  crews  donned  their 
holiday  wardrobes  and  carried  their  brightest  arms.  From 
time  to  time  salutes  were  fired  from  the  small  cannon  of  the 
vessels,  and  the  Spaniards  remarked  with  satisfaction  the 
wonder  and  consternation  which  the  discharge  of  the  artil 
lery  caused  among  the  natives  who  thronged  the  beach. 
Early  in  the  forenoon,  in  the  midst  of  these  pious  and  poli 
tic  rejoicings,  the  young  king  made  his  appearance,  carried 
in  a  litter  on  the  shoulders  of  four  bearers,  and  followed  by 
an  escort  of  two  hundred  of  his  subjects.  With  him  came 

1  So  called  from  a  ring  of  rocks,  near  Segovia,  where  a  chapel  was 
built  dedicated  to  the  Virgin. 


HIS   UNCLAD  MAJESTY.  215 

his  counsellors  as  before,  and  also  his  brother  and  his  little 
son,  the  latter  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  a  stalwart  Indian. 
Entering  one  of  the  large  canoes,  the  king  came  directly  on 
board  the  flagship,  and  ran  quickly  aft  to  the  cabin  where 
the  Admiral  was  at  breakfast.  Colon  would  have  risen  as 
he  saw  his  guest  enter ;  but  the  king  sat  down  by  his  side, 
making  signs  that  he  should  not  rise  or  disturb  himself  in 
any  wise.  The  scene  that  followed  cannot  be  better  told 
than  in  the  Admiral's  own  words :  — 

"  I  thought  that  the  king  would  like  to  eat  some  of  our  dishes, 
and  directed  that  he  should  be  served  at  once.  When  he  en 
tered  the  cabin  he  had  made  signs  to  all  his  people  that  they 
should  remain  outside ;  and  this  they  did  with  the  greatest 
promptness  and  obedience  in  the  world,  all  sitting  down  on  the 
deck  except  two  old  men  whom  I  took  to  be  his  counsellor  and 
tutor.  These  entered  the  cabin  and  sat  down  at  the  king's  feet. 
When  I  set  the  dishes  before  him  he  took  only  a  little  taste  as 
we  do  for  ceremony,  and  then  he  sent  them  to  his  people,  all  of 
whom  ate  a  little.  The  same  he  did  with  the  wine,  touching 
his  lips  to  it  and  then  giving  it  to  the  others.  All  this  he  did 
with  a  wonderful  dignity,  using  very  few  words,  and  those,  as 
far  as  I  could  judge,  appropriate  and  full  of  sense.  The  old 
men  at  his  feet  watched  his  lips  and  spoke  with  him,  repeating 
all  he  said  with  a  very  great  respect.  After  having  eaten,  one 
of  his  attendants  brought  him  a  belt,  made  very  much  like  those 
of  Spain,  but  in  a  different  kind  of  work,  which  he  took  and 
then  handed  to  me,  with  two  pieces  of  gold  beaten  very  thin.  I 
believe  they  find  but  little  of  this  metal  in  these  parts,  although 
I  am  sure  they  live  near  to  where  it  grows,  and  that  there  is  an 
abundance  of  it.  I  noticed  that  the  king  was  attracted  by  a 
coverlet  which  was  spread  over  my  bed;  and  this  I  gave  to  him, 
with  some  really  handsome  amber  beads  I  wore  around  my  neck, 
and  a  pair  of  red  shoes  and  a  jar  of  orange  water.  With  these 
presents  he  was  so  delighted  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  watch 
him,  and  he  and  his  counsellors  showed  great  regret  that  they 
could  not  talk  with  me  nor  I  with  them.  Nevertheless,  I  under 
stood  that  he  told  me  that  in  case  I  had  need  of  anything,  the 
whole  country  was  at  my  service.  I  sent  for  a  rosary  of  mine 
to  which,  as  a  token,  I  had  attached  a  golden  excelente^  on 

1  An  old  Spanish  coin  worth  about  fifteen  dollars.  Las  Casas  says 
that  he  had  seen  and  handled  this  very  coin  and  rosary  after  Colunv 
bus's  death,  —  apparently  in  San  Domingo. 


2l6   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

which  are  stamped  the  likenesses  of  your  Majesties,  and  this  I 
showed  to  him  ;  telling  him  that  your  Highnesses,  as  I  had  said 
the  other  day,  ruled  over  the  best  portion  of  the  whole  world, 
and  that  no  greater  princes  were  in  existence.  I  also  showed 
him  the  Royal  Standard  and  the  banners  of  the  Green  Cross, 
and  all  this  he  admired  mightily.  He  said  to  his  counsellors 
that  your  Highnesses  must  surely  be  great  rulers,  since  you  had 
sent  me  so  far  from  heaven  without  any  fear ;  and  many  other 
things  he  said  which  I  could  not  understand,  but  it  was  clear 
that  all  he  saw  astonished  him." 

When  it  began  to  grow  late  the  king  took  his  leave  and 
started  for  shore,  the  Admiral  showing  him  all  the  honors 
due  a  royal  prince,  and  firing  a  salute  as  he  left  the  flagship. 
On  reaching  land  the  king  mounted  again  into  his  litter ; 
his  little  son  was  perched  on  the  shoulders  of  one  of  the 
chief  men,  and  the  train  moved  away  on  the  road  to  the 
town  where  he  lived,  which  was  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 
off.  Meantime  his  brother  had  come  on  board  the  flagship 
to  make  his  own  visit,  and  was  treated  with  much  respect, 
although  no  such  distinguished  honors  were  shown  to  him  as 
had  been  lavished  on  the  king.  After  satisfying  his  curi 
osity  and  receiving  a  number  of  presents,  he  also  returned 
on  shore  and  set  out  after  the  royal  party.  Some  of  the 
Spaniards  who  were  wandering  about  in  the  village  and  its 
neighborhood  met  the  cortege  later  in  the  day,  as  it  was 
proceeding  inland,  and  reported  the  details  of  the  spectacle 
to  the  Admiral.  In  advance,  they  said,  marched  several  of 
the  native  chiefs,  each  carrying  one  of  the  presents  received 
by  the  king ;  one  bore  the  bedquilt,  another  one  red  shoe, 
a  third  its  mate,  a  fourth  the  jar  of  orange  water,  and  so  on. 
Behind  these  came  the  litter  of  the  king,  followed  by  part 
of  the  escort ;  then,  after  an  interval,  came  the  king's  son, 
mounted  on  a  chieftain's  shoulders  and  accompanied  by 
another  detachment ;  then,  some  distance  in  the  rear,  the 
king's  brother,  walking  along  supported  on  either  side, 
as  a  mark  of  dignity,  by  a  chief  holding  an  arm.  The 
sailors  also  said  that  wherever  they  had  gone  they  had  found 
that  the  king  had  issued  orders  that  they  were  to  be  feasted 
and  treated  with  much  honor  by  the  natives ;  all  of  which 


HIS   UNCLAD  MAJESTY.  2 1/ 

gratified  the  Admiral  exceedingly,  as  indicating  that  his  pru 
dent  and  considerate  treatment  of  the  Indians  had  borne 
the  desired  fruit. 

One  only  regret  marred  his  pleasure  on  this  busy  day. 
Among  the  old  men,  or  counsellors,  who  had  accompanied 
the  king  was  a  certain  venerable  chief  who  showed  himself 
to  be  much  more  communicative  than  his  royal  master. 
This  ancient  told  the  Admiral  that  within  a  hundred  leagues 
or  so  of  Hispaniola  were  many  islands  where  gold  existed 
in  dazzling  abundance,  one  of  them  even  being  composed 
of  solid  gold  !  The  natives  of  those  islands,  this  veracious 
informant  explained,  obtained  the  metal  by  sifting  it  from 
the  sands  about  them,  and  then  melted  it  into  bars  or  made  a 
variety  of  figures  with  it,  such  as  birds,  animals,  and  so  on ; 
all  of  which  he  drew  with  his  finger  for  the  Admiral's  better 
comprehension.  On  hearing  of  such  a  bewildering  plenty 
of  the  coveted  gold,  the  Admiral  was  sorely  tempted  to  hold 
the  old  man  captive  and  get  him  to  serve  as  guide  to  those 
alluring  regions ;  but  he  reflected  that  the  seizure  of  a  per 
son  so  near  the  king  would  surely  provoke  the  whole  popu 
lation,  and  so  dismissed  the  idea  from  his  mind.  "  If  I 
only  knew  how  to  talk  with  him,"  the  Admiral  regretfully 
writes,  "  I  would  have  asked  him  to  go  with  me ;  and  this 
I  am  sure  he  would  have  done,  so  friendly  did  he  show 
himself  to  me  and  all  the  other  Christians."  As  it  was,  he 
resolved  to  seek  these  newly  mentioned  countries  as  soon 
as  he  had  finished  examining  the  island  where  he  was ;  and 
with  this  decision  he  dismissed  the  old  counsellor,  all  uncon 
scious  of  the  dangerous  distinction  proposed  for  him.  If 
we  might  hazard  the  conjecture,  the  old  man  may  have 
been  talking  confusedly  of  the  gold  deposits  of  the  main 
land  ;  for  we  know  that  the  Chiriqui  Indians  of  Darien  had 
great  quantities  of  treasure,  and  worked  their  gold  into  such 
figures  as  he  described  to  the  Admiral. 

The  Spaniards  closed  their  day  with  an  act  of  devotion 
befitting  the  festival  they  celebrated.  Going  on  shore  with 
a  large  company  from  both  ships,  the  Admiral  set  up  a  great 
cross  in  the  open  square  around  which  the  chief  houses  of 


21 8       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

the  village  were  built.  Seeing  the  white  men  engaged  in 
the  work,  the  natives  flocked  to  their  assistance  and  aided 
them  in  every  way  they  could ;  and  when,  the  work  com 
pleted,  the  Spaniards  knelt  down  to  worship  the  sacred 
emblem,  the  savages  all  followed  their  example,  imitating 
exactly  their  motions  and  gestures,  vastly  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  Admiral,  who  saw  in  their  humility  the  augury  of  an 
easy  conversion.  So  kind  had  been  their  reception  of  the 
Spaniards,  and  so  gentle  were  their  manners  in  every  way, 
that  he  called  this  harbor  the  Puerto  de  Paz,  or  Port  of 
Peace.  He  says,  speaking  of  the  natives  in  general :  — 

"  All  that  they  possess  and  think  that  we  should  like  to  have, 
these  people  bring  to  us ;  and  this  with  a  spirit  so  willing  and 
contented  that  it  is  a  marvel  to  see.  Nor  must  any  one  say  that 
this  is  because  what  they  have  is  of  little  value ;  for  whatever 
they  own  they  give  freely,  without  distinction  of  value,  —  pieces 
of  gold  as  readily  as  gourds  of  water ;  and  it  is  always  easy  to 
tell  when  a  thing  is  given  with  a  willing  heart."  1 

Thirty  years  afterward  there  was  not  a  corporal's  guard 
of  these  "  savages  "  alive.  The  "  Christians  "  had  starved 
and  flogged  and  worked  and  tortured  the  whole  race  off  the 
face  of  their  noble  island.  There  is  no  moral  to  such  a 
tale  :  it  is  all  the  other  way. 

1  Las  Casas  records  an  interesting  custom  of  Columbus  :  "  When 
any  gold  or  other  precious  objects  were  brought  him  by  any  one,  he 
entered  into  his  oratory  and  knelt  down,  asking  the  bystanders  to  do 
likewise,  and  saying,  '  Let  us  give  thanks  to  Our  Lord,  who  has  made 
us  worthy  to  discover  such  great  treasures.'  " 


XVIII. 
A  GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS. 

WHILE  sailing  along  the  shores  of  Cuba  and  among 
the  islands  of  Our  Lady's  Sea,  the  Admiral  seems 
to  have  laid  aside  for  the  moment  his  eagerness  to  find  at 
all  costs  the  golden  wealth  of  these  fancied  Indies,  and  aban 
doned  himself  to  the  mere  delight  of  living  amid  such 
peaceful  and  enchanting  scenes.  Once  arrived  among 
the  people  of  Hispaniola,  however,  the  sight  of  their  glit 
tering  ornaments,  meagre  and  trifling  as  they  seem  to  have 
been,  revived  all  the  ardor  of  his  earlier  intentions,  and  he 
was  now  as  keen  to  reach  the  source  of  gold  —  or  "  the  place 
where  the  gold  grows,"  as  he  sometimes  terms  it  —  as  he  was 
when  first  he  noticed  the  precious  metal  in  the  noses  of  the 
Indians  of  Guanahani. 

Leaving  the  Port  of  Peace  on  the  night  of  the  i8th  of 
December,  he  was  driven  about  in  the  channel  between 
Tortuga  and  the  main  island  until  the  evening  of  the  2Oth. 
Continuing  then  his  coasting  to  the  eastward  with  a  favor 
ing  breeze,  he  passed  several  capes  and  harbors,  and  at 
sunset  of  that  day  anchored  in  a  noble  bay  lying  between 
lofty  headlands  and  sheltered  toward  the  sea  by  a  little 
island.  This  being  the  vigil  of  St.  Thomas,  he  christened 
the  islet  by  that  name  and  the  port  as  well,  while  he  called 
the  bay  the  Sea  of  the  Port  of  St.  Thomas,  so  great  was  its 
extent  and  so  many  the  islands  scattered  over  its  surface.1 
Here  also  a  vast  and  fertile  plain  spread  inland  from  the 

1  Now  known  as  the  Bay  of  Acul. 


220      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

harbor  to  where  the  mountain- ranges  formed  a  towering  bar 
rier  about  it  on  three  sides.  To  the  Spanish  sailors  these 
sierras  appeared  to  be  even  loftier  than  the  Peak  of  Tene- 
riffe,  although,  unlike  that  awesome  mount,  they  were  covered 
to  their  summits  with  dense  forests  of  gigantic  trees.  From 
the  ships  many  settlements  could  be  seen  dotting  the  plain 
in  the  distance,  while  columns  of  smoke  in  the  direction  of 
the  mountains  bespoke  the  presence  of  others  yet  more  re 
mote.  In  this  bay  the  vessels  anchored  and  were  soon 
visited  by  a  canoe-load  of  Indians,  who  were  treated  with 
kindness  and  dismissed  with  gifts  as  usual. 

On  the  following  morning  the  Admiral  took  the  small  boats 
and  went  on  shore.  Two  men  who  had  been  sent  to  a  neigh 
boring  height  to  look  for  the  nearest  village  reported  that  a 
little  farther  along  the  shore  was  a  large  town  situated  only  a 
short  distance  back  from  the  water.  Thither  the  boats  were 
rowed,  and  at  their  approach  the  natives  gathered  in  crowds 
upon  the  beach,  and  indicated  by  their  gestures  where  a 
landing  should  be  made.  They  exhibited  a  good  deal  of 
trepidation,  however,  when  the  strangers  drew  near  their 
waiting-place,  and  it  was  only  after  the  interpreters  had  made 
their  usual  declarations  and  exhibited  their  offerings  that  the 
savages  came  down  to  the  water's  edge  and  mingled  freely 
with  the  Spaniards.  Their  numbers  increased  at  every 
moment ;  and  as  the  new-comers  arrived  upon  the  scene  they 
renewed  the  signs  of  welcome  and  astonishment  with  which 
the  earlier  arrivals  had  greeted  their  visitors.  No  sooner 
were  the  white  men  well  on  dry  land  than  the  natives  brought 
them  plentiful  gifts  of  bread  and  other  eatables,  together  with 
fresh  water,  both  in  gourds  and  in  earthenware  jars  some 
what  after  the  fashion  of  those  used  in  Spain.  This  was 
the  first  pottery  the  Admiral  had  thus  far  encountered,  and 
he  remarks  the  incident  as  showing  the  advancing  scale  of 
civilization  in  these  people.  Like  the  inhabitants  at  the 
Port  of  Peace,  they  were  gentle  and  liberal,  possessing  no 
weapons  and  handsome  of  face  and  figure.  The  Admiral 
sent  a  small  party  inland  to  visit  the  town  while  he  and  his 
companions  remained  at  the  landing  and  conversed  with 


A   GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS.  221 

the  crowd  there  as  well  as  they  could.  During  this  inter 
course  a  canoe  arrived  from  another  part  of  the  bay,  with 
a  request  from  the  chief  of  that  district  that  the  Admiral 
would  visit  him  also.  As  soon  as  his  scouts  returned  from 
their  excursion,  he  prepared  to  comply  with  this  request ; 
but  upon  seeing  him  about  to  leave  them  the  natives  on  the 
beach  near  by  raised  a  hideous  lamentation  and  entreated 
him  not  to  abandon  them.  Making  his  peace  as  best  he 
might,  he  rowed  along  the  shore  to  this  second  settlement, 
closely  accompanied  by  the  canoe  of  the  messengers,  who 
seemed  fearful  lest  he  should  not  visit  their  ruler.  His  ar 
rival  was  clearly  expected ;  for  on  reaching  the  point  of  land 
where  this  chiefs  village  was  situated,  the  Admiral  was  re 
ceived  by  him  and  a  large  throng  of  his  tribesmen  with  loud 
acclamations  of  friendship  and  affection.  Moreover,  a  large 
supply  of  their  choicest  foods  had  been  prepared ;  and  as 
soon  as  the  boats  approached  the  beach,  the  chief  sent  the 
banquet  down  to  his  visitors,  making  his  own  people  sit  on 
the  ground  apart  meanwhile.  Seeing  that  the  white  stran 
gers  accepted  his  hospitality,  he  sent  men  to  fetch  more 
food  and  parrots  and  whatever  else  they  held  in  estimation, 
while  himself  with  his  following  drew  near  the  Spaniards 
and  pressed  their  offerings  upon  them.  When  the  Admiral, 
after  distributing  a  generous  portion  of  trinkets  among  these 
amiable  savages,  indicated  that  he  must  return  to  his  ships, 
there  was  a  general  outcry  of  regret  and  protestation  from 
the  crowd,  in  the  midst  of  which  he  rowed  away  still  fol 
lowed  by  some  of  his  more  ardent  admirers  in  their  canoes. 
His  arrival  at  the  vessels  was  the  signal  for  a  fresh  outbreak 
of  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of  the  population  adjacent  to  the 
anchorage,  and  the  ships  were  overrun  by  the  people  from 
shore.  The  number  of  canoes  was  not  sufficient  to  furnish 
transportation  to  the  curious  multitude,  and  many  swam  out 
the  two  miles  which  separated  the  vessels  from  the  beach. 
All  these  visitors,  the  Admiral  directed,  were  to  be  treated 
with  attention,  allowed  to  satisfy  their  curiosity,  and  be 
given  something  to  eat,  in  return  for  the  kindness  they  had 
shown  the  Spaniards.  Among  his  guests  was  a  chief  who 


222      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

came  from  a  town  some  distance  to  the  west  of  Port  St. 
Thomas,  and  he  too  pressed  the  Admiral  to  visit  his  place, 
promising  him  much  gold  if  he  would  do  so.  The  Admiral 
was  unable  to  go  himself,  but  he  sent  some  of  his  men  to 
get  the  proffered  gold  and  learn  what  they  could  of  its 
source.  These  emissaries  were  well  received  on  reaching 
this  chiefs  district ;  but  could  not  get  to  the  village,  as 
they  had  to  cross  a  wide  river  which  the  naked  Indians 
swam  without  trouble,  but  the  Spaniards  dared  not  attempt 
with  their  arms  and  equipments.  Altogether  the  arrival  of 
the  ships  and  their  astonishing  contents,  both  animate  and 
otherwise,  made  a  most  gigantic  commotion  throughout  all 
that  thickly  populated  region,  and  the  news  was  evidently 
spread  far  and  wide  with  great  rapidity,  by  whatever  means, 
arousing  the  curiosity  and  interest  of  all  who  heard  it. 

The  next  day  the  Admiral  would  have  left  this  bay  and 
continued  his  voyage  to  the  east;  but  the  wind  did  not 
serve,  and  he  had  to  remain  where  he  was.  He  sent  a  party 
again  to  visit  the  village  in  the  west  whose  chief  had  prom 
ised  the  gold,  and  this  time  placed  Don  Rodrigo  Escovedo 
in  command.  By  making  a  detour  the  party  managed  to 
cross  the  river  and  enter  the  town.  The  chief  himself  came 
out  to  meet  them,  and  taking  the  notary  by  the  hand,  led 
the  way  to  his  own  house,  followed  by  all  the  population. 
Here  the  visitors  were  given  all  they  could  eat,  and  pre 
sented  with  some  small  pieces  of  gold,  a  quantity  of  cotton 
yarn,  and,  as  a  special  mark  of  esteem,  three  or  four  live 
geese.  In  return  they  gave  their  host  the  presents  sent 
him  by  the  Admiral,  and  to  the  natives  at  large  some  trinket 
for  whatever  they  had  brought  to  the  Spaniards.  When 
they  left,  the  chief  sent  with  them  a  number  of  his  men  to 
carry  their  cotton  and  fowls,  and  to  help  his  visitors  across 
the  streams  and  marshy  spots  on  the  road ;  both  he  and  his 
people  being  greatly  flattered  by  the  visit  made  them  by  the 
white  men. 

Meantime,  all  day  long  the  canoes  were  plying  between 
the  ships  and  the  shore,  coming  from  all  sides  of  the  great 
bay.  The  sailors  counted  more  than  one  hundred  and 


A    GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS.  22$ 

twenty  of  these  craft,  some  large  and  others  small,  but  all 
loaded  with  Indians  bringing  articles  to  barter  with  the 
Christians,  —  cassava  bread,  fish,  jugs  of  water,  cotton,  fruits, 
—  whatever  they  possessed,  in  short.  A  party  of  the  sailors 
had  taken  their  own  boat  and  gone  to  cast  their  nets  at  a 
distance  from  the  ships,  when  they  saw  a  great  canoe  com 
ing  around  a  neighboring  point  and  steering  directly  for 
them.  On  reaching  the  boat  one  of  the  savages  in  the 
canoe  handed  to  the  sailors  a  belt  from  which  was  suspended 
a  mask  carved  from  wood,  and  having  its  ears,  nose,  and 
tongue  of  beaten  gold.  Judging  from  the  Indian's  gestures 
that  he  had  something  of  importance  to  communicate,  the 
sailors  made  signs  that  the  canoe  should  go  on  to  the  flag 
ship,  and  the  natives  paddled  off  at  once  in  the  direction 
indicated.  When  they  were  brought  before  the  Admiral  he 
found  it  almost  impossible  to  understand  them,  as  the  inter 
preters  said  that  many  of  their  words  were  unintelligible  to 
them,  and  were  unlike  those  of  any  of  the  other  natives.  At 
length  he  managed  to  gather  that  they  had  come  on  a  mission 
from  a  great  chief,  or  king,  called  Guacanagari,  whose  terri 
tory  lay  farther  to  the  east,  and  who  wished  the  Spaniards 
to  visit  him.  If  they  would  come,  he  had  sent  to  say,  they 
should  have  everything  he  possessed.  From  what  the 
messengers  told  him,  as  well  as  from  the  decorations  of  the 
mask,  the  Admiral  inferred  that  this  king  must  have  an 
abundance  of  gold,  and  accordingly  he  promised  to  visit 
him  without  delay.  Leaving  three  of  her  crew  behind  to 
serve  as  guides  for  the  white  men,  the  canoe  promptly  set 
out  on  her  homeward  trip  to  carry  the  welcome  news  to  the 
savage  prince. 

So  impatient  was  the  Admiral  to  verify  the  presumable 
wealth  of  this  newly  discovered  monarch  that  he  made 
ready  to  sail  for  his  city  on  the  next  day,  although  it  was 
Sunday ;  "  and  I  do  not  usually  leave  a  port  on  Sunday," 
he  writes,  "  not  from  any  superstition,  but  because  I  hope 
that  all  these  people  will  become  Christians ;  "  on  which 
account  he  desired  to  set  a  good  example.  But  when 
the  day  came  he  found  himself  still  wind-bound,  and  there- 


224      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA, 

fore  decided  to  send  a  detachment  of  men  in  the  small 
boats,  under  the  command  of  the  notary,  to  visit  King  Gua- 
canagari,  and  make  him  such  offerings  as  would  likely  be 
acceptable.  Don  Rodrigo  was  to  assure  the  prince  of  the 
Admiral's  early  arrival,  and  inform  himself  as  far  as  possible 
of  the  probable  wealth  and  power  of  his  Majesty.  The  boats 
set  out  under  the  guidance  of  the  three  savages  who  had 
remained  for  the  purpose  ;  while  those  of  the  Spaniards  who 
stayed  with  the  ships  devoted  themselves  to  the  incessant 
stream  of  curious  natives  who  thronged  the  vessels  through 
out  the  whole  day,  coming  apparently  from  every  quarter  of 
the  compass.  The  Admiral  estimated  that  at  least  a  thou 
sand  visited  them  in  canoes,  while  half  as  many  swam  out 
from  the  nearest  beaches.  The  one  aim  of  these  savages 
seemed  to  be  to  give  something  to  the  white  men,  whether 
they  received  anything  in  return  or  not.  As  soon  as  the 
canoes  got  anywhere  near  the  ships,  the  Indians  would  rise 
to  their  feet,  and  holding  up  their  offering,  call  out,  "  Take 
this  !  take  this  !  "  as  if  fearful  lest  the  white  men  should  re 
fuse  their  gifts.  To  all  of  them  some  trifle  was  given,  in 
obedience  to  the  Admiral's  orders ;  and  those  who  seemed 
of  chief  importance  he  feasted  on  wheaten  bread  and  honey, 
with  such  other  celestial  cates  as  they  most  appreciated. 

Among  his  guests  this  day  were  no  less  than  five  chiefs,  or 
caciques,  as  his  interpreters  called  them,  accompanied  by 
their  entire  households,  including  men,  women,  and  chil 
dren,  —  all  filled  with  wondering  eagerness  to  see  the  mar 
vellous  creatures  who  had  fallen  from  the  skies.  Some  of 
these  chiefs  the  Admiral  had  already  seen  on  shore ;  and  he 
now  endeavored,  through  his  interpreters,  to  get  from  them 
all  the  information  he  could  regarding  their  own  several 
parts  of  the  country  and  the  adjoining  territories.  All 
agreed  that  the  island  was  of  immense  extent,  and  "  full  of 
gold."  They  told  him  that  the  people  of  the  other  islands 
came  to  Hispaniola  to  get  this  metal,  by  violence  or  by 
trade,  according  to  their  natures,  and  that  the  Spaniards 
could  easily  secure  as  much  of  it  as  they  could  possibly 
want.  It  is  as  well  to  remember,  however,  that  these  unlucky 


A    GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS.  22$ 

beings  had  not  yet  learned  the  boundless  greed  of  the  white 
men  for  this  yellow  stuff,  or  the  lengths  to  which  they  would 
go  to  accumulate  it ;  had  they  known,  it  is  doubtful  whether 
they  would  have  been  so  unreserved  in  yielding  their  infor 
mation.  One  of  the  caciques  showed  the  Admiral  how  the 
gold  was  gathered  in  the  interior ;  another  pointed  out  the 
direction  from  which  it  came,  and  named  the  several  dis 
tricts  in  which  it  most  abounded.  The  richest  of  all  these, 
the  Admiral  understood,  was  situated  far  to  the  east,  and 
called  Cibao ;  and  there,  his  informant  averred,  the  king 
had  banners  of  beaten  gold.  As  if  to  give  support  to 
the  welcome  stories  he  was  hearing,  some  of  the  natives 
had  brought  on  board  a  few  pieces  of  gold  much  larger  and 
heavier  than  any  he  had  theretofore  seen ;  and  he  did  his 
best  to  induce  that  one  of  his  visitors  who  had  been  most 
frank  and  communicative  to  remain  with  him  as  a  guide  to 
the  splendid  region  where  this  gold  "  grew."  This  the  In 
dian  willingly  consented  to  do,  provided  he  might  bring 
with  him  another  man  who  seemed  to  be  a  relation  or  inti 
mate  friend ;  and  the  two  joined  the  other  natives  already 
attached  to  the  fortunes  of  the  white  explorers. 

This  renewed  talk  of  wealth  and  treasure  had  once  more 
raised  the  anticipations  of  the  Admiral  to  the  highest  pitch. 
He  believed,  on  comparing  all  that  he  had  heard,  that  His- 
paniola  was  an  island  "larger  than  England  itself;"  and 
the  latter  was  the  greatest  isolated  body  of  land  known  to 
his  experience.  The  rich  territory  of  Cibao  was  clearly  the 
Indian  name  for  Cipango.  The  king  with  the  golden  stand 
ard  was  of  course  the  sovereign  of  that  mighty  Asiatic  island. 
If  he  could  but  reach  this  land  of  mines  and  riches,  he  felt 
that  his  utmost  hopes  would  quickly  be  realized.  "May 
Our  Lord,  who  has  all  things  in  His  gift,  come  to  my  help, 
and  grant  to  me  as  shall  be  for  His  service  !  "  is  his  pious 
exclamation  in  mentioning  the  tales  of  the  caciques.  And 
again  he  writes  :  "  May  God  direct  me  in  His  mercy  to  find 
this  gold,  —  I  mean  to  say,  this  mine,  —  for  many  of  these 
people  tell  me  they  know  where  it  is."  His  thoughts  were 
now  no  longer  of  cinnamon  and  mastic,  of  land-locked  har- 


226      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

bors  and  commanding  sites  for  forts,  of  beautiful  landscapes 
and  peaceful  natives ;  his  one  engrossing  thought  was  gold. 

It  was  after  nightfall  on  this  same  busy  Sunday  when  the 
boats  returned  with  Roclrigo  de  Escovedo  and  the  men  who 
had  accompanied  him  on  his  mission.  He  reported  to  the 
Admiral  that  King  Guacanagari's  town  was  situated  on  a 
river  a  long  journey  to  the  east  of  Port  St.  Thomas.  On 
their  way  thither  in  the  morning  they  had  met  a  great  flo 
tilla  of  canoes  crowded  with  Indians  going  to  visit  the  ships, 
all  of  whom  turned  back  when  they  met  the  boats  and  es 
corted  the  Spaniards,  with  much  rejoicing,  to  their  king. 
Some  of  them  had  paddled  on  ahead  with  extraordinary 
speed  to  apprise  their  ruler  of  the  white  men's  coming,  so 
that  when  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  on  which  the 
town  was  built  they  were  received  by  a  large  concourse  of 
natives,  who  led  them  in  triumph  to  the  settlement.  This 
the  notary  described  as  being  by  far  the  most  imposing  he 
had  yet  visited ;  the  houses  being  arranged  in  streets,  with  a 
broad  and  cleanly  swept  plaza  in  the  midst  of  the  town.  To 
this  place  they  were  conducted,  and  were  immediately  sur 
rounded  by  several  thousand  of  the  inhabitants,  who  made 
no  effort  to  disguise  their  astonishment  at  the  appearance  of 
their  singular  visitors.  In  a  short  time  the  king  himself 
arrived,  and  they  presented  themselves  before  him.  He 
ordered  food  and  drink  to  be  set  before  them,  and  showed 
a  keen  desire  to  gratify  them  in  all  ways.  The  notary  pre 
sented  the  Admiral's  gifts,  and  announced  his  approaching 
visit,  whereat  the  king  expressed  his  delight ;  and  after  these 
formalities  he  took  the  Spaniards  through  the  town.  The 
people  pressed  upon  them  a  multitude  of  presents,  and  for 
their  own  part  seemed  to  consider  as  holy  relics  all  the 
strangers  gave  them  in  exchange.  The  king  himself  be 
stowed  upon  each  of  the  Spaniards  a  piece  of  cotton  cloth, 
while  to  their  commander  he  sent  several  pieces  of  gold  and 
a  number  of  parrots.  In  the  afternoon,  when  they  wished 
to  return,  he  and  all  his  chief  subjects  begged  them  to  re 
main  another  day ;  but  on  finding  their  entreaties  of  no 
avail,  the  king  took  his  leave  with  many  declarations  of 


A    GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS.  22"J 

friendship,  a  crowd  of  his  people  inarching  with  the  Chris 
tians  to  the  boats,  and  carrying  everything  they  were  taking 
with  them.  On  the  whole  the  Admiral  was  well  satisfied 
with  Don  Rodrigo's  report  concerning  Guacanagari  and 
his  town.  "  If  I  can  only  celebrate  the  festival  of  Christ 
mas  in  that  port,"  he  writes,  "  all  the  inhabitants  of  this 
island  will  flock  to  see  it ; "  and  from  the  effect  produced 
on  the  inhabitants  at  the  Port  of  Peace  by  the  Feast  of  the 
Annunciation,  he  looked  for  a  still  deeper  impression  to  fol 
low  from  the  ceremonies  of  Christmas  Day. 

At  dawn  on  the  24th  of  December  the  ships  weighed  an 
chor,  and  stood  out  of  the  Sea  of  St  Thomas  with  a  favora 
ble  land-breeze.  Rounding  the  cape  which  forms  its  eastern 
limit,  they  coasted  slowly  along  toward  the  port  near  Gua 
canagari' s  town.  The  wind  gradually  failed  them  as  the  day 
wore  on,  so  that  when  night  fell  they  were  still  ten  miles 
from  their  destination,  and  barely  making  a  steerage  way. 

As  the  night  was  clear  and  the  sea  calm,  the  Admiral, 
toward  eleven  o'clock,  determined  to  turn  in.  He  had 
been  on  the  watch  ever  since  early  dawn,  and  had  lost 
his  sleep  the  previous  night,  so  that  he  badly  needed  rest 
before  undergoing  the  fatigues  of  the  coming  day.  It  was 
not  his  habit,  he  says,  to  lie  down  when  the  ship  was  sailing 
near  the  land ;  but  on  this  one  occasion  he  felt  that  he  was 
peculiarly  safe.  Not  only  was  the  sea  "  as  quiet  as  a  por 
ringer,"  as  he  puts  it,  but  the  sailors  who  had  manned  the 
boats  with  Don  Rodrigo  on  the  latter's  mission  two  days 
before  had  carefully  examined  the  whole  course  both  going 
and  coming,  and  reported  that  it  was  free  and  open,  with 
no  indications  of  reefs  or  rocks  all  the  way  to  the  king's 
port.  Not  satisfied  to  rely  wholly  on  this  apparently  suffi 
cient  precaution,  he  called  up  the  master  of  the  vessel,  a 
navigator  of  large  experience,  and  handed  over  the  tiller  to 
him,  charging  him  strictly  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  and  rouse 
him  at  any  indication  of  change  in  sea  or  sky. 

Seeing  the  Admiral  fast  asleep  in  his  cabin,  the  dead  calm 
continuing,  and  the  sea  without  a  ripple,  the  master  thought 
that  he  too  might  take  his  rest,  and  none  be  the  wiser  or  the 


228      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

worse  for  his  comfort.  Summoning  one  of  the  younger  sailors, 
—  the  Admiral  calls  him  "  a  boy,"  perhaps  in  angry  contempt ; 
for  his  standing  order  was  that  the  helm  should  never  be 
intrusted  to  the  ordinary  seamen,  —  the  master  turned  the 
watch  over  to  him,  and,  wrapping  himself  in  his  cloak,  went 
sound  asleep  in  some  sheltered  nook.  A  little  later  on  — 
not  so  much  as  an  hour  —  the  drowsy  seaman  who  held  the 
tiller  felt  a  tremor  in  his  hand,  and  noticed  the  rudder  jar 
with  a  motion  which  was  unmistakable.  His  loud  cry  of 
alarm  awoke  both  master  and  Admiral ;  but  the  latter  was 
the  first  to  reach  the  steersman's  side.  He  did  not  need 
the  sound  of  the  breakers  close  at  hand  to  tell  him  what 
had  occurred ;  the  easy,  steady  rasp  of  the  vessel's  keel  as 
she  drove  deeper  into  the  sands  thrilled  through  his  whole 
frame  with  a  message  as  plain  as  it  was  terrible.  The  ship 
had  been  carried  imperceptibly  on  a  sand- bank,  upon  which 
she  was  every  moment  drifting  farther.  The  "  Santa  Maria," 
his  flagship,  was  ashore  in  a  savage  country;  the  little 
"  Nina  "  alone  remained  to  carry  a  hundred  souls  back  to 
Spain  across  that  wide  ocean  ! 

Quickly  observing  that  the  ship  was  settling  into  the  shoal 
broadside  on,  he  ordered  the  master  to  take  the  barge  and 
cast  an  anchor  off  as  far  as  possible  astern  in  the  deep  water, 
intending  to  work  the  ship  off  with  the  capstan  if  it  could  be 
done.  But  that  worthy,  either  losing  his  head  on  seeing  the 
consequences  of  his  negligence  or  else  from  sheer  terror, 
instead  of  obeying  orders,  set  off  with  all  hands  in  the  barge 
for  the  "  Nina,"  which  was  about  half  a  league  to  windward. 
Here  they  found  cold  comfort ;  for  Vicente  Yanez,  on  hearing 
their  story,  railed  at  them  for  arrant  cowards,  and  flatly  re 
fusing  to  let  them  put  foot  in  his  ship,  bore  down  to  render 
assistance  to  his  commander  as  in  duty  bound.  As  for  the 
Admiral,  when  he  saw  his  barge  disappear  in  the  darkness 
in  the  direction  of  the  "  Nina's  "  light,  he  knew  he  was  de 
serted,  and  promptly  set  about  cutting  away  his  mainmast 
and  heaving  overboard  some  of  his  cannon  and  other  heavy 
truck  with  a  view  to  lightening  the  ship.  All  his  efforts 
were  futile,  however ;  for  the  one  chance  of  salvation  had 


A   GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS.  229 

been  lost  in  the  barge's  flight.  Little  by  little  the  "  Santa 
Maria  "  worked  on  to  the  bank  until  she  lay  sunk  deep  in 
the  sand  with  her  broadside  toward  deep'  water.  Seeing 
that  he  could  not  get  her  off  in  the  darkness,  and  knowing 
nothing  of  the  lay  of  the  land,  the  Admiral  took  off  all  his 
crew  and  put  them  on  board  the  "  Nina  "  for  safety. 

As  soon  as  it  was  dawn,  he  despatched  Diego  de  Arana  and 
Pedro  Gutierrez  in  the  "  Nina's  "  boat  to  inform  Guacanagari 
of  his  disaster,  and  ask  him  to  send  canoes  and  men  to  aid 
in  unloading  the  wreck.  Never  did  tale  of  distress  fall  on 
more  sympathetic  ears,  if  we  may  believe  the  report  of  the 
Admiral's  envoys.  The  king  shed  tears  of  grief  at  hearing 
of  the  Catastrophe  which  had  overtaken  the  white  men,  and 
instantly  ordered  his  people  to  go  with  their  canoes,  large 
and  small,  to  the  scene  of  the  wreck,  and  do  whatever 
the  strangers  should  require  of  them.  He  himself  came 
down  to  the  beach  soon  after  to  watch  the  progress  of  the 
work ;  for  the  shoal  on  which  the  vessel  lay  was  close  to  the 
site  of  his  town.  From  time  to  time  he  despatched  attend 
ants  to  learn  how  the  labors  were  advancing,  and  to  repeat 
his  offers  of  assistance.  The  Admiral  was  not  to  grieve  over 
his  misfortune,  the  king  said,  for  he,  Guacanagari,  would 
give  him  all  he  owned  to  console  him  for  the  loss  of  his 
ship.  As  it  proved  at  last  to  be  impossible  to  get  the 
"  Santa  Maria  "  off,  the  natives  and  their  canoes  were  used 
in  unloading  the  ship  and  transporting  her  cargo  and  stores 
to  the  shore.  When  he  learned  of  this,  the  king  caused  a 
number  of  houses  near  the  beach  to  be  vacated,  and  directed 
that  all  the  articles  from  the  wreck  should  be  stored  in 
them.  In  a  very  short  time  the  hulk  was  stripped  of  every 
thing  portable.  So  scrupulous  were  these  savages  in  hand 
ling  the  goods  intrusted  to  them  that,  notwithstanding  the 
inestimable  value  they  placed  upon  all  they  handled,  the 
Admiral  says  "  not  a  pin  was  missing,  nor  a  crumb  of  bread." 
The  king  ordered  two  more  houses  to  be  vacated  and  swept 
clean  as  evening  drew  on,  and  these  he  gave  to  such  of  the 
Spaniards  as  were  detailed  to  remain  on  shore  over  night ; 
while  he  placed  a  guard  of  his  own  men  to  see  that  nothing 


230      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

was  disturbed.  The  Admiral  himself  slept  on  the  "  Nina," 
anchoring  her  as  near  to  the  king's  town  as  he  could  get 
with  safety. 

The  prompt  and  generous  help  rendered  by  Guacanagari 
and  his  people  made  necessarily  a  profound  impression  upon 
the  Admiral,  and  materially  influenced  his  future  course. 
Ever  since  landing  on  Guanahani,  the  Spaniards  had  had 
constant  experience  of  the  generosity  of  the  natives ;  but 
between  the  indiscriminate  liberality  of  the  other  savages 
and  the  thoughtful  and  painstaking  hospitality  of  this  prince, 
there  was  a  broad  difference  The  one  was  dictated  by  a 
frank  and  magnanimous  desire  to  be  of  service  to  friends  in 
distress ;  the  other  by  a  childish  anxiety  to  stand  well  with 
the  superior  beings  such  as  the  Indians  supposed  the  white 
men  to  be.  On  the  one  Colon  felt  that  he  could  rely ;  to 
the  other  he  would  not,  perhaps,  have  been  willing  to  trust 
after  the  first  emotion  of  amazement  had  worn  off.  More 
over,  in  none  of  the  other  islands  had  he  discovered  any 
traces  of  discipline  or  government ;  but  wherever  he  had 
landed  in  Hispaniola  he  had  found  some  kind  of  a  civil 
organization,  although  none  of  the  caciques  seemed  to  have 
so  complete  a  command  over  their  people  as  Guacanagari 
had  shown  that  he  possessed  when  this  emergency  arose. 
The  king  clearly  had  an  individuality  of  his  own  which 
strongly  impressed  the  Admiral,  and  the  latter  seems  to  have 
regarded  him  from  the  outset  as  a  worthy  comrade  and  ally. 
"These  people  are  admirably  faithful,  and  free  from  all 
covetousness,"  he  writes  in  closing  his  account  of  the  ship 
wreck  ;  "  and  more  than  all  others  is  this  virtuous  king." 
There  were  other  reasons  why  he  was  drawn  to  the  natives 
of  Hispaniola  to  a  greater  degree  than  to  any  of  the  other 
islanders.  The  inhabitants  of  this  region  were  industrious, 
so  far  as  their  needs  demanded,  as  was  shown  by  the  care 
with  which  their  fields  were  tilled  and  the  pains  bestowed 
upon  their  houses  and  canoes ;  they  were  numerous  and,  to 
all  appearance,  undisturbed  by  the  neighboring  tribes ;  and 
they  were  peaceable  in  disposition,  as  was  evidenced  by  the 
total  absence  of  weapons.  Even  the  glaring  colors  with 


A    GLOOMY  CHRISTMAS. 

which  they  painted  themselves,  the  Admiral  had  learned, 
were  not  worn  to  terrify  their  enemies,  as  he  had  at  first 
supposed,  but  to  protect  their  skins  from  the  sun.  Finally, 
the  country  was  fertile,  abounding  in  provisions  and  prom 
ising  to  prove  rich  in  the  products  of  mine  and  forest.  For 
all  these  reasons  it  invited  to  settlement. 

These  considerations  passed  through  Colon's  mind,  we 
may  gather  from  his  writings,  even  in  the  hurry  and  occu 
pation  of  discharging  the  wreck  of  the  "  Santa  Maria."  He 
was  ever  a  man  of  quick  resolve  and  instant  execution,  and 
the  problem  now  before  him  called  for  the  exercise  of  both 
these  qualities.  The  "  Nina"  was  the  only  vessel  remaining 
of  the  fleet,  and  therefore  the  one  means  left  of  commu 
nicating  with  that  distant  world  beyond  the  broad  Atlantic. 
Her  company,  originally  of  twenty-four,  had  been  increased 
by  the  Indians  taken  on  board  from  time  to  time ;  and  now 
nearly  eighty  more  souls,  between  the  Spaniards  and  their 
native  followers,  were  dependent  on  this  single  little  bark 
for  transportation.  Vicente  Yanez  had  thus  far  shown  none 
of  the  spirit  of  insubordination  which  dominated  his  brother 
Martin  Alonzo ;  but  there  was  no  assurance  that  a  mutiny 
might  not  break  out  among  the  crews ;  and  in  such  an  ex 
tremity  the  captain  might  yield  to  the  pressure  and  side 
with  his  townsmen  of  Palos.  In  such  an  event  what  would 
become  of  those  who  stood  by  the  Admiral,  and,  above  all, 
what  would  be  the  fate  of  the  stupendous  discovery  which 
had  at  length  crowned  the  toils  and  devotion  of  Colon  him 
self?  We  do  not  believe  for  a  moment  that  this  man  occu 
pied  his  mind  with  concern  about  his  own  fate  ;  we  believe 
that,  like  other  men  of  lofty  aims,  this  was  a  matter  of  small 
concern  to  him  in  crises  such  as  this  was.  But  he  knew  that 
he  carried  in  his  own  brain  the  secret  of  the  route  to  this 
western  world ;  and  the  thought  that  this  might  be  lost,  or  if 
finally  rediscovered  by  the  labor  of  others  after  his  own 
death  or  disappearance,  might  be  used  only  for  purposes  of 
individual  greed  or  sordid  ambition,  moved  him  to  look 
upon  himself  impersonally  as  a  guardian  and  trustee  for 
these  new  lands  which  he  believed  the  Almighty  had  in- 


232       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

trusted  to  his  keeping.  In  this  persuasion  he  determined 
to  go  to  any  lengths  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  his  knowl 
edge  and  purposes  perishing  with  himself  in  that  unknown 
corner  of  an  unmapped  sea. 

Only  the  night  before  he  had  gone  to  rest  planning  fresh 
achievements  and  buoyed  with  new  hopes,  which  had  for 
their  foundation  the  impression  he  would  make  upon  Gua- 
canagari  by  celebrating  in  all  its  pomp  and  circumstance 
the  great  festival  of  the  Christian  year  in  the  capital  of  the 
heathen  prince.  Now  he  was  a  shipwrecked  sailor,  assailed 
by  a  flood  of  cares  and  dangers  against  which  his  only  bul 
wark  was  the  continued  friendship  of  this  naked  savage.  In 
so  different  a  fashion  from  that  which  he  had  anticipated 
did  the  Admiral  pass  the  first  Christmas  known  to  the  New 
World. 


XIX. 
THE   FIRST   FRONTIERSMEN. 

AS  a  measure  of  precaution  and  to  curb  any  possible 
attempt  at  desertion  on  the  part  of  the  crew  of  his 
remaining  vessel,  the  Admiral  had  transferred  his  flag  at  once 
to  the  "  Nina  "  and  remained  on  board  that  ship.  On  the 
morning  after  the  loss  of  the  "  Santa  Maria,"  shortly  after 
sunrise,  the  king  came  to  visit  him  and  assured  him  of  his 
earnest  sympathy  at  the  disaster  which  had  befallen.  Guaca- 
nagari  repeated  his  former  messages, — that  he  and  his  people, 
their  houses,  canoes,  and  all  they  owned,  were  at  the  disposal 
of  the  white  men,  and  whatever  the  latter  wanted  should  be 
done.  While  he  and  the  Admiral  were  conversing,  several 
large  canoes  came  alongside,  bringing  numbers  of  Indians 
with  pieces  of  gold  to  exchange  for  hawk-bells.  On  draw 
ing  near  the  ship,  the  savages  rose  in  their  boats  and  held 
up  the  shining  bits  of  metal,  crying  out,  "  Chuque,  chuque  !  " 
in  imitation  of  the  sound  of  the  bells  they  were  so  wild  to 
possess.1  For  a  single  tiny  bell  they  willingly  gave  any 
piece  of  gold  they  had,  regardless  of  its  size,  and  after 
trading  away  all  that  they  had  brought,  earnestly  begged  the 
Spaniards  not  to  dispose  of  all  their  bells  to  the  other 
Indians  who  should  come,  but  to  save  some  for  the  present 

1  Chuqui  is  "gold"  in  one  of  the  languages  of  ancient  Peru,  and 
"  dance  "  in  another.  It  is  possible,  in  view  of  the  wide  extent  of  the 
Inca  Empire,  and  the  extended  traffic  which  we  know  existed  even  in 
those  early  times  among  the  natives  of  the  New  World,  that  the  word 
was  used  in  one  of  these  senses,  and  misunderstood  by  the  Spaniards. 


234      *"/7W  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

traders  until  the  following  day,  for  then  they  would  bring 
lumps  of  gold  as  large  as  their  hands.  This  the  Admiral 
promised  should  be  done ;  for  he  understood  from  the  king, 
or  those  who  were  in  his  company,  that  these  canoes  came 
from  a  distance,  and  that  wherever  the  tinkle  of  the  little 
bells  had  been  heard  the  natives  were  seized  with  a  veritable 
passion  for  them.  Soon  afterward  some  of  the  sailors  who 
had  spent  the  night  on  shore  came  off  to  the  "  Nina,"  and 
reported  that  in  the  village,  too,  the  Indians  were  offering 
gold  in  quantities,  giving  it  to  the  Spaniards  for  anything  at 
all,  —  a  piece  weighing  an  ounce  or  more  in  exchange  for  a 
brass  lace-point,  and  other  like  extravagances.  Nor  was 
this  only  a  momentary  abundance,  the  seamen  said  ;  for  the 
villagers  had  told  them  that  what  they  then  brought  was 
nothing  at  all  in  comparison  with  what  they  should  bring  to 
the  strangers  in  a  few  weeks'  time.  At  this  news  the  Admiral 
showed  so  much  gratification  that  Guacanagari  observed  the 
change  in  his  bearing  and  inquired  the  cause.  On  learning 
what  it  was,  he  bade  his  host  be  of  good  cheer,  for  he  should 
have  as  much  of  this  metal  as  he  desired.  Not  far  from 
there,  he  said,  in  Cibao,  it  was  so  plentiful  that  the  people 
held  it  in  such  little  esteem  that  it  might  be  had  for  the 
asking,  and  he  would  send  at  once  and  have  a  great  store  of 
it  gathered  for  the  white  men.  These  were  welcome  tidings 
to  the  Admiral,  coming  as  they  did  just  when  the  future  was 
so  doubtful,  and  he  began  to  feel  that  good  might,  after  all, 
come  out  of  the  evil  he  had  suffered.  The  king  remained 
to  breakfast  with  him,  and  the  Admiral  took  pleasure  in 
watching  the  extreme  propriety  with  which  his  guest  acted. 
The  meal  finished,  he  presented  the  king  with  a  silken  shirt 
and  a  pair  of  gloves,  with  which  elaborate  raiment  his  Ma 
jesty  was  so  delighted  that  he  insisted  on  wearing  at  least 
the  garments  for  his  hands  throughout  the  day. 

Later  on  the  Admiral  took  Guacanagari  ashore  in  the 
barge  and  accompanied  him  to  his  town.  The  king  showed 
his  guest  about  the  place,  and  then  walked  with  him  some 
distance  through  the  adjacent  forest,  more  than  a  thousand 
of  the  inhabitants  following  in  their  train  wherever  they  went 


THE  FIRST  FRONTIERSMEN.  235 

Their  excursion  ended,  the  king  led  the  way  to  one  of  the 
principal  cabins  in  the  village,  where  a  feast  was  spread  for 
the  Admiral  and  his  party.  In  the  preparation  and  service 
of  this  repast  every  effort  was  made  to  show  the  white  com 
mander  in  what  particular  esteem  and  honor  he  was  held 
by  the  savage  prince.  The  dishes  consisted  of  everything 
known  to  the  native  palate,  —  yams,  game,  fish,  shrimps, 
cassava  bread,  red  peppers,  fruits,  and  many  eatables  wholly 
unfamiliar  to  the  Spaniards.  Each  dish  on  the  table  —  or, 
properly  speaking,  on  the  ground  —  was  pressed  upon  the 
surfeited  guests,  so  that  the  entertainment  lasted  a  long  time. 
At  its  conclusion  Guacanagari  and  the  other  natives  present 
rubbed  their  hands  with  certain  leaves  which  were  brought 
them  for  the  purpose  ;  but  to  the  Admiral  and  his  suite  water 
was  offered,  the  king  having  remarked  that  the  white  men 
washed  their  hands  after  eating.  When  they  rose  from  the 
collation,  Guacanagari  led  the  way  to  the  beach,  conversing 
as  he  went  about  the  occasional  inroads  of  the  dreaded 
Canibals  —  or  Cannes,  as  he  called  them  —  and  the  terrible 
weapons  they  used.  The  Admiral  assured  him  that  such 
arms  had  no  terrors  for  the  Spaniards,  and,  to  give  him  a 
demonstration  of  the  superiority  of  the  white  men  in  this 
respect,  sent  for  one  of  his  men-at-arms  who  was  an  ex 
cellent  marksman  with  the  Moorish  bow.  The  skill  and 
deadly  power  shown  by  this  adept  greatly  impressed  the 
king  and  all  who  were  with  him ;  but  when,  in  obedience 
to  the  Admiral's  orders,  an  arquebuse  and  cannon  were  dis 
charged  from  the  "Nina,"  and  the  balls  went  crashing 
through  the  forest,  tearing  off  leaves  and  branches  as  they 
passed,  the  wonder  of  the  savages  knew  no  bounds.  With 
these  same  thundering  and  irresistible  weapons,  the  Admiral 
told  his  host,  would  the  sovereigns  of  the  white  men  send 
and  destroy  the  Caribes,  or  bring  them  captive  to  Hispaniola, 
with  their  arms  tied  behind  their  backs  just  as  they  had 
done  to  the  islanders.  In  such  intercourse  the  day  was 
spent,  both  the  savage  cacique  and  the  white  commander 
delighted  with  their  experiences.  At  parting  the  king  gave 
the  Admiral  another  large  mask,  with  eyes,  ears,  and  nose  of 


236      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

gold,  together  with  a  number  of  other  golden  ornaments, 
some  of  which  he  hung  about  his  guest's  neck,  and  one,  a 
sort  of  coronet,  he  placed  upon  his  head.  To  the  other 
Spaniards  he  also  made  presents  of  pieces  of  gold,  declaring, 
as  they  left,  that  before  long  they  should  receive  still  greater 
quantities  of  the  precious  metal. 

The  Admiral's  purpose  in  spending  the  day  with  Guaca- 
nagari  had  not  been  one  of  mere  pleasure.  He  had  de 
cided  upon  the  course  to  be  pursued,  and  wished  to  inform 
himself  more  fully  upon  certain  vital  points,  and  prepare 
the  ground  for  the  action  contemplated.  Now  he  was 
ready.  To  take  all  his  people  back  to  Spain  in  the  "  Nina  " 
was  clearly  impracticable  ;  to  send  her  with  despatches  and 
await  with  part  of  his  company  the  arrival  of  relief  ships 
sent  back  to  him  by  the  Spanish  Crown  was  to  lean  on  a 
reed  of  the  frailest ;  for  the  "  Nina "  might  never  reach 
Europe,  or  if  she  did,  her  crew  might  report  Columbus  and 
the  others  as  dead,  and  so  reap  all  the  credit  and  reward  for 
themselves.  To  build  another  vessel  from  the  materials  of 
the  "  Santa  Maria  "  would  take  a  long  time ;  and  the  Ad 
miral  was  constantly  haunted  by  the  thought  that  Martin 
Alonzo  might  return  to  Spain  in  the  "  Pinta,"  and  not  only 
claim  the  glory  of  the  discovery,  but  propagate  falsehoods 
destructive  of  the  reputation  and  character  of  his  leader. 
Relying,  therefore,  on  the  friendship  and  hospitality  of 
Guacanagari,  Colon  had  determined  to  erect  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  near  the  king's  town,  a  small  fortress,  and  garri 
son  it  with  such  of  his  men  as  could  not  be  taken  on  the 
"  Nina,"  choosing  only  those  who  were  disposed  to  remain. 
The  hulk  of  the  flagship  would  furnish  them  with  timber  and 
iron ;  her  cargo  and  supplies  could  be  stored  in  the  fort,  and 
would  be  ample  provision  both  for  subsistence  and  traffic 
with  the  natives ;  and  during  his  absence  the  colony  could 
accumulate  gold,  cotton,  mastic,  cinnamon,  and  all  the  other 
products  of  the  island,  and  have  them  ready  to  ship  by  the 
time  he  returned  to  seek  them.  He  in  person  would  make 
all  haste  to  Spain,  report  his  discoveries,  and  equip  another 
and  more  adequate  expedition  with  which  to  complete  the 


THE  FIRST  FRONTIERSMEN. 

exploration  of  these  new  lands  and  permanently  establish 
the  Spanish  power.  The  more  he  reflected  upon  this  plan, 
the  more  it  commended  itself  to  him.  The  loss  of  two  of 
his  vessels  and  the  paucity  of  treasure  in  comparison  with 
the  fabulous  quantities  of  gold  and  pearls,  spices  and  silks, 
which  he  had  confidently  expected  to  bring  back  with  him, 
would,  he  apprehended,  be  seized  upon  by  his  opponents 
at  the  Court,  and  used  as  arguments  to  belittle  the  merit  of 
his  achievement ;  they  might  even,  he  admitted  to  himself, 
succeed  in  deterring  the  Crown  from  sending  out  a  second 
fleet,  and  then  all  his  sacrifices  and  labors  would  go  for 
naught.  But  with  a  colony  planted  in  the  New  World  the 
sovereigns  would  have  to  act,  be  the  opposition  what  it 
might,  and  his  garrison  would  thus  be  hostages  to  Fortune 
for  the  realization  of  his  cherished  aims.  One  more  con 
ception  influenced  him  largely.  These  island  regions  were 
full  of  tantalizing  mystery.  Where  was  the  country  of  the 
Great  Khan?  Where  Babeque  the  golden?  Whence 
came  these  already  considerable  quantities  of  gold  which 
the  simple  natives  treated  as  the  dirt  beneath  their  feet? 
What  of  those  lands  and  monarchs  of  which  the  caciques 
and  their  people  had  told  him  ?  Partly  for  want  of  time,  but 
chiefly  from  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  language,  he  had 
only  learned  enough  about  these  several  matters  to  keep  his 
expectations  keyed  to  the  highest  pitch.  If  his  chosen  fol 
lowers  were  to  settle  among  these  friendly  subjects  of  Gua- 
canagari,  however,  it  would  be  an  easy  thing  for  them  to 
acquire  the  dialect,  and  thus,  he  argued,  "  discover  the 
secrets  of  these  lands."  From  every  point  of  view  he  was 
satisfied  with  the  project,  and  having  formulated  it  definitely 
in  his  mind,  announced  his  intentions  to  Vicente  Yanez  and 
the  members  of  his  own  official  household.  Greatly  to  his 
content,  it  encountered  little  or  no  opposition.  Many  of 
the  men,  officers  and  sailors  alike,  had  been  charmed  with 
the  easy  and  indulgent  life  of  the  natives ;  others  among 
them  had  had  their  avarice  excited  by  the  sight  of  so  much 
gold  and  the  promise  of  so  much  more ;  still  others  pre 
ferred  the  mere  prospect  of  adventures  in  a  delightful  coun- 


238   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

try  and  climate  to  the  certainty  of  a  long  and  tedious  voyage 
across  that  endless  ocean  in  a  crowded  caravel.  Whatever 
their  motives,  it  was  evident  that  volunteers  would  not  be 
lacking. 

Thus  it  befell  that  what  at  first  had  seemed  a  desperate 
remedy,  now  that  it  took  clearer  shape,  presented  itself  to 
the  Admiral's  sanguine  mind  as  a  direct  ordinance  of  Divine 
Providence.  Had  the  "  Santa  Maria  "  not  been  wrecked, 
he  would  only  have  passed  Christmas  Day  in  this  port,  and 
then  sailed  on  in  blissful  ignorance  of  the  stores  of  gold  and 
valuable  productions  to  be  obtained  here  at  so  trifling  an 
outlay.  Had  the  master  of  the  stranded  ship  obeyed  orders 
and  cast  the  anchor  astern  as  he  was  told,  the  vessel  would 
have  been  warped  off  the  bank  and  the  voyage  continued. 
Had  the  people  of  Palos,  even,  done  their  whole  duty  as 
loyal  citizens,  and  furnished  a  ship  of  lighter  draught  than 
the  "  Santa  Maria,"  she  might  never  have  gone  on  the  shoal, 
or  even  if  she  had,  would  have  broken  up  in  a  few  hours ; 
whereas  the  timbers  of  the  unwieldy  flagship  were  yet  sound 
and  solid,  and  could  be  used  to  admirable  advantage  in  the 
projected  stronghold.  Surely  this  was  all  foreordained  by 
the  Almighty,  the  Admiral  thought.  Now  the  garrison  he 
should  leave  behind  would  be  able  to  collect  gold  and  spices 
in  plenty,  and  discover  the  mines  and  forests  where  they 
grew  ;  so  that  a  vast  treasure  would  be  ready  against  his  re 
turn.  Beyond  doubt  they  could  gather  at  least  "  a  ton  of 
gold  "  and  a  vast  quantity  of  precious  spices  in  the  time  it 
would  take  him  to  go  to  Spain  and  get  back ;  and  at  that 
rate  within  two  or  three  years  there  would  be  sufficient 
treasure  hoarded  to  warrant  the  sovereigns  of  Castile  in  un 
dertaking  his  fond  dream  of  freeing  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
from  the  filthy  grasp  of  the  infidel  Turk.  He  writes  on 
the  evening  of  December  26  :  — 

"  So  many  reasons  at  present  occur  to  me,  that  this  no  longer 
appears  to  be  a  disaster,  but  rather  a  great  good  fortune  ;  for  it 
is  certain  that  if  we  had  not  run  aground  I  should  not  have  ven 
tured  to  come  into  this  harbor,  as  it  is  difficult  of  entrance,  and 
thus  I  should  not  have  left  a  garrison  here  as  I  now  intend 


THE  FIRST  FRONTIERSMEN.  239 

doing ;  and  even  if  I  had  wished  then  to  leave  them,  I  could 
not  have  furnished  them  with  so  large  an  equipment  of  ammu 
nition  and  supplies,  nor  all  that  is  wanted  for  their  fort.  Now 
it  also  appears  that  very  many  of  my  people  who  were  ship 
wrecked  wished  to  remain  here,  and  they  have  asked  me,  or  got 
others  to  ask  me,  to  give  them  permission  to  stay.  For  this 
cause  I  have  ordered  that  a  fortress  and  keep  should  be  erected 
at  this  place,  all  very  carefully  built,  together  with  a  large 
storage  vault  under  ground.  This  is  not  because  I  have  any 
fear  concerning  these  people ;  for,  as  I  have  before  said,  with 
my  present  force  I  could  take  possession  of  their  whole  island, 
although  it  is,  I  am  sure,  greater  than  Portugal,  and  has  twice 
as  many  people  ;  but  they  are  all  naked,  and  have  no  weapons, 
and  are  cowards  beyond  all  hope  of  recovery.  The  reason  why 
I  build  this  fort  is  because  this  place  is  so  far  away  from  Spain, 
and  also  in  order  that  these  people  may  learn  something  of  the 
power  of  your  Highnesses'  subjects,  and  how  much  they  can 
accomplish,  and  so  obey  them  with  fear  and  affection.  From 
the  wreck  we  can  get  timber  and  iron  to  construct  the  fort,  and 
plenty  of  bread  and  wine  for  more  than  a  year,  and  seeds  for 
raising  crops,  and  a  barge  for  the  use  of  our  men.  I  shall  leave 
here  a  calker,  a  carpenter,  a  gunner,  and  a  cooper,  and  many  of 
the  other  men  who  want  to  serve  your  Majesties  and  do  me 
pleasure  by  finding  out  where  the  gold  is  gathered.  And  thus 
everything  has  turned  out  very  conveniently  for  making  this 
first  settlement." 


In  such  ready  fashion  was  distress  changed  into  rejoicing, 
and  fearful  foreboding  into  sanguine  hope.  Colon  was  not 
the  only  wise  man  whose  mind  has  taken  more  kindly  to 
the  "ifs"  than  to  the  "buts"  of  futurity. 

Work  on  the  fortress  was  begun  at  once.  The  Admiral 
called  the  colony  he  proposed  to  establish  the  Villa  de  la 
Navidad  (or  Christmas  Town),  in  honor  of  the  day  on 
which  he  had  made  his  disastrous  landing.  The  men  set 
about  their  task  with  a  will,  —  those  who  were  to  stay  anx 
ious  to  commence  their  independent  life,  and  those  who 
were  to  go  as  desirous  to  turn  their  faces  toward  Spain.  It 
was  no  secret  that  the  Admiral  intended  to  return  immedi 
ately  across  the  Atlantic ;  and  partly  for  this  cause,  and 
partly  to  impress  the  natives  with  the  strength  and  skill  of 


240   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

the  white  men,  he  pushed  the  construction  of  the  little 
stronghold  with  all  the  energy  he  commanded.  The  king 
and  his  followers  were  pleased  beyond  measure  when  they 
learned  that  the  strangers  were  going  to  settle  among  them, 
and  lent  themselves  to  the  work  with  willing  hearts ;  but 
when  he  understood  that  the  Admiral  himself  was  going 
away,  Guacanagari  was  disconsolate.  He  begged  his  visitor 
to  remain,  saying  that  he  had  sent  men  in  all  directions  to 
collect  gold,  and  if  the  Admiral  would  only  wait,  he  would 
cover  him  from  head  to  foot  with  the  metal  he  prized  so 
much.  On  the  2yth  he  came  again  on  board  the  "Nina," 
with  his  brother  and  a  chief  who  seemed  to  be  a  sort 
of  privy  councillor,  and  breakfasted.  During  the  meal  the 
king  said  that  his  two  companions  wished  to  accompany 
the  Admiral  to  the  country  he  was  going  to,  and  return  with 
him  when  he  came  out  again.  To  this  Colon  very  gladly 
agreed,  recognizing  the  importance  of  presenting  to  the 
Spanish  sovereigns  a  native  prince,  the  brother  of  a  power 
ful  and  friendly  monarch.  As  they  were  discussing  this 
matter,  a  canoe  arrived  from  shore  bringing  several  Indians, 
who  told  Guacanagari  that  a  great  boat  like  the  "  Nina," 
filled  with  the  same  kind  of  white  beings,  was  lying  in  a 
river  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  island.  The  Admiral  knew 
at  once  that  this  must  be  the  "  Pinta;  "  but,  relieved  as  he 
was  to  learn  that  Martin  Alonzo  had  not  gone  back  to  Spain 
to  rob  him  of  the  credit  of  the  discovery,  he  was  much  dis 
turbed  by  the  thought  that  his  lieutenant  was  probably  ran 
sacking  the  coast  for  gold,  and  thus  interfering  seriously 
with  his  own  intentions.  Observing  the  anxiety  with  which 
the  news  affected  his  host,  the  king  offered  to  despatch  a 
canoe  to  the  river  mentioned  to  verify  the  truth  of  the  re 
port.  This  proposal  was  gratefully  accepted  by  the  Admiral, 
who  also  sent  one  of  his  reliable  men  to  carry  letters  of  a 
friendly  tenor  to  Martin  Alonzo,  urging  him  to  rejoin  the 
"  Nina  "  without  delay.  The  knowledge  that  the  "  Pinta  " 
was  somewhere  near  and  might  make  her  appearance  any 
day,  placed  Colon  in  a  cruel  embarrassment.  On  the  one 
hand,  could  he  but  depend  on  her  captain  for  loyal  assist- 


THE  FIRST  FRONTIERSMEN.  24! 

ance,  he  would  have  been  able  to  complete  his  examination 
of  the  shores  of  Hispaniola,  and  even  continue  his  explora 
tions  in  other  directions,  before  resuming  his  homeward  voy 
age  ;  on  the  other  hand,  he  might  be  placed  in  a  most 
critical  position  were  his  headstrong  subordinate  to  find  him 
in  this  crippled  and  dependent  condition.  In  this  dilemma 
he  resolved  to  hasten  the  construction  of  the  fort  and  get 
under  weigh  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  It  would  be 
better,  he  argued,  to  meet  the  "  Pinta  "  at  sea,  when  he  was 
bound  ostensibly  for  Spain;  even  Martin  Alonzo's  men 
would  probably  side  with  the  Admiral  when  the  question 
was  whether  to  remain  longer  in  these  distant  waters  or 
sail  direct  for  Palos  and  home.  Accordingly  he  spent  most 
of  his  time  now  on  shore,  directing  and  animating  the  men 
in  their  work  of  digging  ditches  and  setting  up  stockades ; 
using  meanwhile  all  his  tact  and  diplomacy  to  confirm  the 
favorable  disposition  of  the  king. 

Guacanagari,  indeed,  seemed  only  to  be  anxious  to  win 
the  favor  of  the  white  commander  and  convince  him  of  his 
desire  to  enrich  the  strangers.  He  had  evidently  given 
orders  that  his  people  should  not  tell  exactly  where  the  gold 
came  from,  so  that  he  might  continue  to  be  the  only  source 
from  whom  the  Spaniards  could  obtain  it ;  but  his  attempted 
monopoly  was  rather  the  fruit  of  a  friendly  jealousy  than  of 
greed,  for  he  continued  to  shower  presents  upon  the  Admi 
ral  and  the  officers  with  all  his  original  generosity.  At  one 
time  it  would  be  masks  with  golden  decorations ;  at  another 
plates  of  gold  to  hang  about  the  neck ;  still  again  it  was 
nuggets  of  the  virgin  metal.  Nor  did  he  prohibit  his  people 
from  trading  freely  with  the  sailors ;  on  the  contrary,  the 
latter  continued  to  receive  daily  additions  to  their  treasure, 
—  or  rather  to  that  of  the  Crown ;  for  they  had  to  make  a 
return  of  all  they  secured  to  the  royal  inspector,  Rodrigo 
Sanchez.  The  king's  one  object  in  establishing  this  pro 
hibition  was,  by  being  himself  liberal  and  generous  in  sup 
plying  the  coveted  metal,  to  prevent  the  Spaniards  from 
caring  to  seek  beyond  his  dominions  for  the  yellow  stuff 
they  thought  so  much  of.  In  this  and  others  of  his  dealings 

16 


242       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

there  was  a  transparent  effort  at  mystery  which  reminds  one 
of  the  elaborate  devices  of  children  at  play.  One  evening, 
for  example,  he  sent  a  handsome  mask  on  board  the 
"  Nina "  for  the  Admiral,  with  a  request  that  the  latter 
would  let  him  have  a  water-basin  and  a  jug ;  but  Colon  had 
no  difficulty  in  discovering  that  the  king  intended  to  have 
others  like  them  made  of  gold  to  present  to  his  white  friend 
and  ally.  On  another  occasion,  when  the  Admiral  went 
ashore  in  order  to  confer  with  him  about  the  garrison  which 
was  to  remain  under  his  protection,  Guacanagari,  instead  of 
meeting  him  on  the  beach  as  he  usually  did,  hid  himself  in 
his  house,  and  sent  his  brother  to  receive  his  visitor.  The 
younger  prince  led  the  way  ceremoniously  to  one  of  the 
houses  set  apart  for  the  Spaniards'  accommodation,  and 
after  seating  the  Admiral  on  a  bench  of  honor  which  had 
been  prepared,  sent  a  messenger  to  advise  the  king  of  his 
distinguished  guest's  arrival.  In  a  moment  Guacanagari 
came  running  into  the  apartment,  and,  embracing  the  Ad 
miral  with  every  display  of  affection,  hung  a  large  plate  of 
gold  about  his  neck  as  an  especial  insignia  of  rank.  All  this 
performance,  the  Admiral  remarks,  was  arranged  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  doing  him  the  greater  honor.  The  king's  arti 
fices  were  not  always  successful,  however,  nor  were  his  in 
junctions  implicitly  obeyed ;  and  thus  it  happened  that  the 
Spaniards  not  only  learned  where  the  gold  came  from,  but 
a  member  of  the  king's  own  family  was  their  informant. 
The  Admiral  himself  questioned  every  one  he  talked  with 
upon  this  absorbing  subject ;  but  so  far  all  his  efforts  had 
been  in  vain,  for  the  Indians  either  evaded  an  answer  alto 
gether  or  feigned  ignorance.  A  nephew  of  Guacanagari,  a 
young  man  of  quick  intelligence  and  frank  disposition,  came 
one  day  on  board  the  "  Nina,"  and,  as  was  his  wont,  the 
Admiral  talked  with  him  about  the  gold.  Among  other 
things,  he  asked  him  the  situation  of  the  mines  whence  it 
was  drawn.  Nothing  loath,  the  young  fellow  told  his  inter 
rogator  that  it  all  came  from  the  eastern  part  of  Hispaniola 
itself,  —  or  Bohio,  as  he  called  the  island,  —  and  he  named 
the  countries  of  Cibao,  Guarionex,  Coroay,  Macorix,  Mayonic, 


THE  FIRST  FRONTIERSMEN.  243 

and  Fuma,  where  he  said  the  metal  was  found  in  such  quanti^ 
ties  that  it  had  no  value  at  all.  Happy  in  this  discovery,  the 
Admiral  hastened  to  write  down  in  his  diary  all  the  young 
man  had  told  him,  supposing  these  names  to  refer  to  islands 
in  the  vicinity  of  Hispaniola,  although  he  later  discovered 
that  they  all  were  provinces  or  districts  of  that  same  island.1 
As  for  the  young  man,  he  adds,  when  the  king  learned  what 
had  occurred,  he  read  his  nephew  a  serious  lecture  on  his 
heedless  conduct. 

By  the  30th  of  December  the  fortress  was  so  far  ad 
vanced  that  the  Admiral  began  to  make  preparations  for 
the  long  voyage  before  him.  He  wished  to  consult  Gua- 
canagari  concerning  certain  of  these  matters,  and  went  on 
shore  to  dine  with  him.  He  found  the  king  surrounded 
by  five  of  his  subject  caciques,  all  wearing  coronets  of  gold 
and  all,  no  doubt,  deep  in  schemes  to  secure  gold  enough 
to  satisfy  the  extraordinary  fancy  of  the  white  men  for  such 
a  useless  material.  On  seeing  Colon,  the  king  ran  forward 
and  led  him  by  the  arm  into  the  house  prepared  for  his  use, 
where  he  made  him  sit  down  on  the  bench  of  honor.  Then 
he  took  off  his  own  coronet  and  placed  it  on  the  Admiral's 
head  with  much  ceremony  and  respect ;  apparently  wishing 
to  give  this  token  of  affection  in  the  presence  of  his  chiefs. 
Not  to  be  outdone,  Colon  took  off  the  necklace  of  beads  he 
himself  wore,  and  fastened  it  around  Guacanagari's  neck, 
and  throwing  off  the  short  cape  or  mantle  he  had  donned 
for  greater  ceremony,  he  placed  it  over  the  king's  shoulders. 
He  also  sent  to  his  chest  for  a  pair  of  new  red  buskins  which 
he  had  the  king  put  on,  and  drawing  a  silver  ring  from  his 
finger,  placed  it  on  that  of  his  royal  host.  This  completed 
the  joy  of  Guacanagari ;  for  silver  was  vastly  more  prized  by 
the  Indians  than  the  more  valuable  metal,  and  the  king  had 
tried  to  get  one  of  the  sailors  to  part  with  a  ring  he  wore, 
as  the  Admiral  knew.  It  is  evident  that  the  latter  felt  that 
he  had  done  all  that  could  be  expected  of  him,  for  in  de 
scribing  this  scene  he  writes  that  the  cape  was  a  new  one  of 

1  Guacanagari's  own  district  was  called  Marien,  and  was  the  terri 
tory  near  the  cape  now  known  as  Haytien. 


244      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

broadcloth  which  he  was  wearing  for  the  first  time,  and  the 
necklace  was  "  of  handsome  colored  stones  and  choice 
beads  of  beautiful  tints,  which  was  quite  fit  to  be  worn  in 
any  place."  At  all  events,  his  audience  was  overcome  by 
his  generosity ;  for  two  of  the  caciques  promptly  came  for 
ward  and  gave  him  the  large  plates  of  gold  hanging  down 
from  their  necks  in  the  palpable  expectation  of  receiving  in 
return,  if  not  a  mantle  or  a  silver  ring,  at  least  a  red  shoe  or 
a  string  of  beads.  In  the  midst  of  this  second  interchange 
of  amenities,  an  Indian  appeared  and  informed  the  king  that 
only  two  days  since  he  had  left  the  other  great  boat  of  the 
white  men  in  a  port  to  the  eastward  of  Navidad.  On  hear 
ing  this,  the  Admiral  took  it  for  granted  that  his  messenger 
would  surely  reach  the  "  Pinta,"  and  she  would  speedily  re 
join  him ;  and  he  was  mightily  perplexed  as  to  the  best 
course  to  adopt  toward  Martin  Alonzo  should  he  arrive  be 
fore  the  "  Nina "  had  sailed  from  her  present  anchorage. 
Returning  on  board  his  ship  to  confer  with  Vicente  Yanez, 
he  was  gratified  to  find  that  this  one  of  the  Pinzons  at  least 
was  working  for  the  success  of  the  expedition ;  for  he  re 
ported  to  his  commander  that  he  had  that  day  discovered 
rhubarb  on  one  of  the  adjacent  islands,  and  believed  a  large 
quantity  of  it  could  be  secured  with  little  effort,  as  he  had 
observed  the  same  plant  in  the  port  of  St.  Thomas.  This 
was  a  matter  of  no  little  moment  in  Colon's  estimation,  for 
the  root  had  a  high  commercial  value  and  was  one  of  the 
precious  commodities  imported  by  the  Venetian  merchants 
from  Asia.  He  accordingly  directed  Vicente  Yanez  to  send 
a  boat's  crew  to  gather  a  supply  of  the  rare  drug  as  a  sam 
ple  to  be  shown  the  sovereigns  on  his  arrival  in  Spain.  It 
was  one  "  spice  "  the  more  for  the  garrison  to  garner  into 
their  vault  during  his  absence. 

The  last  day  of  the  year  was  passed  by  the  "  Nina's  " 
company  in  laying  in  a  stock  of  water  and  firewood  for  the 
impending  voyage.  The  Admiral  spent  his  time  between 
the  vessel  and  the  fort,  anxious  to  see  that  both  were  put  in 
the  best  possible  condition  for  the  respective  parts  they  had 
to  play  after  the  approaching  separation.  His  impatience 


THE  FIRST  FRONTIERSMEN.  245 

to  set  sail  for  home,  to  bear  the  tidings  of  his  grand  discov 
ery,  was  tempered  by  a  feeling  of  regret  that  he  could  not 
complete  his  exploration  of  the  coasts  of  Hispaniola ;  but 
the  loss  of  the  "  Santa  Maria  "  warned  him  of  the  danger 
attending  the  navigation  of  these  unknown  harbors,  and  he 
shrank  from  exposing  his  last  remaining  ship  to  such  con 
stant  risks.  He  seems  to  have  left  the  "  Pinta  "  entirely  out 
of  his  calculations  at  this  juncture.  As  was  his  nature,  now 
that  he  was  advised  of  her  proximity,  he  was  going  to  en 
counter  the  difficulty  rather  than  let  it  overtake  him ;  but 
even  after  rinding  the  missing  consort,  he  realized  that  she 
would  be  of  no  assistance.  His  desire  had  been  to  search 
out  the  ports  and  sites  along  the  coast  best  adapted  for  set 
tlement  and  colonization,  so  that  on  his  return  he  might 
bring  a  contingent  of  colonists  with  their  cattle  and  imple 
ments  of  agriculture  ; 1  but,  as  he  was  now  situated,  .he  would 
have  to  act  upon  such  information  as  he  had  already  ac 
quired  regarding  the  capacities  of  the  country  for  permanent 
settlement  by  Europeans. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  new  year,  1493,  the  canoe  de 
spatched  five  days  before  by  Guacanagari  to  search  for  the 
"  Pinta,"  returned  without  any  news  of  the  missing  ship, 
although  the  Spanish  messenger  reported  that  he  had  exam 
ined  every  harbor  and  inlet  for  many  leagues  to  the  east 
ward.  The  Admiral's  disappointment  at  this  failure  was  less 
than  it  would  otherwise  have  been,  for  the  "  Nina  "  was  now 
ready  to  set  sail,  and  her  course  would  lie  in  the  direction 
where  the  "Pinta"  was  said  to  be  cruising.  His  anxieties 
on  this  score  diminished  as  the  hour  for  departure  drew 
near.  What  if  Martin  Alonzo  had  sailed  for  Spain  eager  to 
be  the  bearer  of  the  great  news  and  to  secure  the  applause 
of  his  sovereigns  for  a  success  which  he  had  done  his  ut 
most  to  thwart?  The  Admiral  knew  that  soon  thereafter  he 
would  himself  arrive  to  confound  the  ill-gotten  triumph  of 

1  It  has  been  objected  by  some  historians  that  Columbus  was  to 
blame  for  not  paying  heed  to  anything  but  the  superficial  riches  of  the 
New  World ;  but  the  censure  is  unjust.  His  language  is  explicit  as 
to  his  rational  and  politic  intentions  in  this  respect. 


246      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

his  disloyal  follower,  and  give  the  lie  to  the  malignant  false 
hoods  he  felt  sure  the  lieutenant  would  publish  regarding  his 
commander.  A  natural  feeling  of  satisfaction  filled  his  mind 
as  he  reflected  that  within  a  few  weeks,  if  God  so  pleased, 
the  whole  truth  would  be  in  the  possession  of  the  Spanish 
monarchs,  and  the  rewards  and  punishments  be  distributed 
as  was  of  right.  In  a  burst  of  indignation  which  brings  him 
the  nearer  to  our  hearts  from  its  perfect  candor,  the  Admiral 
enters  these  sentiments  without  disguise  in  the  diary  in 
tended  for  their  Majesties'  own  perusal.  He  writes  :  — 

"If  I  were  certain  that  the  'Pinta'  would  reach  Spain  with 
that  Martin  Alonzo,  I  would  not  hesitate  to  make  the  exploration 
I  so  wish  to  make,  trusting  that  in  good  time  Our  Lord  would 
make  all  things  right.  But  because  I  do  not  know  what  he  may 
intend  to  do,  and  because  if  he  reaches  there  he  may  fill  the  ears 
of  your  Majesties  with  lies,  and  thus  escape  the  punishment  he 
so  richly  deserves  for  having  done  so  much  harm  by  his  deser 
tion,  and  so  greatly  interfered  with  the  benefits  and  advantages 
which  would  otherwise  have  resulted  from  this  voyage,  I  have 
resolved  to  sail  at  once  for  home  without  completing  my  work  of 
exploration." 

As  we  have  seen,  it  was  his  original  intention  to  remain 
in  the  Indies  until  April,  and  it  was  now  only  the  beginning 
of  January;  so  the  treachery  of  the  "Pinta's  "  captain  had 
cut  short  his  leader's  career  of  successful  discovery  by  three 
whole  months.  Since  he  had  accomplished  so  much  in  less 
than  that  time,  after  first  sighting  Guanahani,  what  might  he 
not  expect  to  do  in  another  equal  term  ? 


XX. 

THE   RETURN   OF  THE   "PINTA." 

BY  the  ad  of  January  all  was  ready  for  leaving  the  Villa 
de  la  Navidad  and  the  hospitable  capital  of  Guaca- 
nagari.  The  little  fortress  was  well  advanced  toward  com 
pletion  ;  its  magazines  were  filled  with  stores,  ammunition, 
and  goods  for  barter ;  its  few  small  cannon  mounted  where 
they  could  best  command  the  approaches  by  land  and  water. 
The  garrison  chosen  to  sustain  the  authority  of  Spain  over 
the  western  hemisphere  consisted  of  thirty-nine  men  under 
the  command  of  three  officers.  In  selecting  the  latter  the 
Admiral  had  been  largely  guided  by  personal  considerations. 
Not  only  were  they  to  be  representatives  of  the  Spanish 
Crown,  but  they  were  to  act  for  him  as  well,  and  he  ap 
pointed  those  of  whose  loyalty  to  his  person  he  had  no 
doubt.  To  Diego  de  Arana,  Rodrigo  de  Escovedo,  and 
Pedro  Gutierrez  the  joint  government  of  the  settlement  was 
confided.  The  first  was  bound  to  Colon  by  ties  of  relation 
ship,  the  second  had  proven  himself  worthy  of  the  warranty 
given  him  by  the  father  superior,  and  the  third  had  shown 
his  friendship  for  his  commander  both  by  services  at  the 
Court  in  earlier  days  and  by  his  conduct  since.  The  men 
who  were  to  serve  as  the  pioneers  of  civilization  and  ex 
ponents  of  its  superior  merits  among  the  pagans  of  these 
hitherto  fortunate  regions  were  drawn  from  the  crews  of  the 
"  Nina  "  and  the  "  Santa  Maria."  Only  those  who  showed 
a  cheerful  willingness  to  remain  were  chosen ;  and  it  is  sig 
nificant  to  remark  that  not  a  single  man  of  those  selected 


248       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

hailed  from  Palos  or  its  neighborhood.  The  mutterings  of 
those  trying  days  on  the  calm  Atlantic  were  still  ringing  in 
the  Admiral's  ears,  and  he  was  leaving  none  of  the  Pinzon 
connection  behind  him  to  stir  up  strife  and  discontent  in 
that  lonely  colony.  In  the  list  of  those  detailed  to  garrison 
Navidad  it  is  interesting  to  see  the  names  of  "  William  Irish, 
native  of  Galway,  in  Ireland,"  and  "Tallarte  de  Lajes,  Eng 
lishman."  1  Thus  early  in  its  history  did  the  rival  races  of 
the  North  and  the  South  share  the  dominion  of  the  western 
continent. 

Diego  de  Arana  was  to  be  the  nominal  governor  of  the 
settlement,  although  in  all  things  he  was  to  act  in  consulta 
tion  with  his  two  associates ;  the  fatal  principle  of  divided 
authority,  so  dear  to  the  Latin  heart,  handicapping  the  suc 
cess  of  the  colony  from  the  outset.  To  them  jointly  Colon, 
as  Viceroy  of  the  islands,  committed  all  the  powers  devolved 
upon  him  by  the  royal  decrees.  He  left  with  them  strict 
injunctions  as  to  the  maintenance  of  discipline  in  all  things, 
and  most  particularly  in  their  relations  with  Guacanagari 
and  the  natives  surrounding  them.  As  the  major  part  of 
the  garrison  were  seafaring  men,  he  left  his  largest  boat,  the 
barge,  with  them  to  be  used  in  coasting  expeditions  for  the 
collection  of  gold  and  spices  and  the  discovery  of  the  mines. 
With  the  same  provident  care  he  included  in  the  colony  a 
ship-carpenter,  a  gunner  who  was  also  a  handy  workman  in 
wood  and  metals,  a  cooper  for  their  stores  of  wine,  a  physi 
cian,  and  a  tailor.  The  store  of  provisions  was,  as  we  have 
seen,  a  plentiful  one,  and  the  stock  of  merchandise  for  the 
purposes  of  traffic  was  ample.  Having  made  his  dispositions 
regarding  the  essential  welfare  and  safety  of  the  people 
elected  to  uphold  the  authority  of  their  Catholic  Majesties 
under  such  difficult  conditions,  on  the  morning  of  the  2d 
he  summoned  the  three  governors  and  their  thirty-nine  men, 
and  announced  in  terse  and  forceful  sentences  his  orders  for 

1  Various  conjectures  have  been  hazarded  as  to  what  English  name 
this  Romancized  substitute  represents.  "  Arthur  Lake  "  is  the  latest ; 
but  the  Spanish  form  of  "Arthur  "  is  Artus  or  Artur,  and  the  de  can 
not  be  ignored. 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  "  PINT  A."  249 

their  general  guidance.  For  greater  emphasis  he  divided 
his  remarks  into  eight  distinct  injunctions,  i .  They  were 
to  attend  punctually  to  their  religious  duties,  for  without 
God's  favor  their  endeavors  must  come  to  naught.  2.  They 
were  to  obey  their  governors  in  all  things.  3.  They  were  to 
reverence  King  Guacanagari,  and  strive  always  to  gain  his 
good- will  and  that  of  his  people.  4.  They  were  to  do  no 
harm  to  the  natives  hi  property  or  person.  5.  Under  no 
circumstances  were  they  to  scatter  through  the  neighborhood 
or  go  far  from  the  fort  in  detail.  6.  They  were  to  keep  up 
stout  hearts,  and  not  allow  themselves  to  pine  or  become 
downcast  in  spirit  on  account  of  their  isolation  and  strange 
surroundings.  7.  They  were  to  procure  guides  to  the  mines 
if  possible,  and  obtain  not  only  as  great  a  store  of  treasure 
and  spices  as  they  could,  but  also  inform  themselves  fully 
concerning  the  country  and  its  products.  8.  He  pledged 
himself  to  ask  the  Spanish  sovereigns  to  bestow  special  favors 
and  distinction  upon  all  who  were  remaining  at  Navidad,  as 
a  reward  for  their  loyalty  and  devotion.  His  return  to  His- 
paniola  should  be  as  prompt  as  was  consistent  with  the 
distances  to  be  traversed.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  address 
the  men  hastened  to  express,  after  their  own  fashion,  their 
intention  to  abide  by  his  instructions  and  their  confidence 
in  his  protection  of  their  interests.  Only,  they  begged  him, 
let  his  return  be  as  soon  as  possible,  and  let  their  services 
never  escape  his  memory  when  he  found  himself  again  on 
Spanish  soil. 

The  Admiral  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  ceremonies 
attendant  upon  his  farewell  interview  with  Guacanagari.  So 
far  as  his  colony  was  concerned,  Colon  felt  that  he  had  done 
all  in  his  power  to  provide  for  its  secure  and  prosperous 
administration.  The  site  of  the  settlement  was  not,  indeed, 
as  favorable  a  one  as  he  could  have  wished,  for  he  would 
have  much  preferred  establishing  his  people  farther  along 
the  coast  to  the  east,  where  they  would  be  nearer  the 
country  where  he  believed  the  gold  was  found.  In  the 
absence  of  the  "  Pinta "  this  had  been  impracticable,  and 
he  had  chosen  the  port  of  Navidad  as  being  near  the  town 


250   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

of  the  friendly  king  and  among  peaceable  neighbors.  His 
final  efforts  were  devoted  to  cementing  the  alliance  already 
so  promisingly  established  between  the  natives  and  their 
Christian  visitors. 

Guacanagari  was  to  breakfast  with  the  Admiral  and  his 
staff  in  the  large  house  used  by  the  Spaniards  for  their  formal 
interviews.  When  the  king  entered  the  spacious  apartment, 
accompanied  by  his  brother  and  principal  men,  his  whole 
deportment  bore  witness  to  the  grief  which  possessed  him 
at  the  prospect  of  losing  his  friend  of  a  week.  In  the  course 
of  the  banquet  he  repeatedly  entreated  the  Admiral  not  to 
abandon  him,  promising  him  that  he  should  have  all  the 
gold  he  wanted  if  he  would  only  remain  a  little  longer.  One 
of  the  king's  councillors  took  occasion  to  say  to  Colon  that 
Guacanagari  had  sent  out  canoes  and  messengers  in  all  di 
rections  to  collect  gold,  with  the  intention  of  making  a 
statue  of  the  Admiral  out  of  the  precious  metal,  and  that  if 
the  Spaniards  would  only  remain  for  ten  days  the  splendid 
gift  would  be  ready.  None  of  these  inducements  could 
shake  the  purpose  of  the  white  commander.  His  face  was 
set  toward  Spain ;  if  golden  statues  were  to  be  had,  the 
officers  he  was  leaving  behind  would  see  that  they  were  not 
lost.  Declaring  his  intention  to  be  unalterable,  he  com 
mended  instantly  to  Guacanagari  the  colonists  he  was  leaving 
at  Navidad,  assuring  the  king  of  the  gratitude  and  generous 
recompense  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns  if  he  would  aid  and 
sustain  the  little  party  during  their  leader's  absence.  After 
the  meal  was  finished,  he  gave  the  king  fresh  presents  —  a 
robe  and  other  garments  coveted  by  the  savage  taste  —  and 
also  distributed  liberal  gifts  among  the  other  natives.  The 
more  to  impress  both  king  and  people  with  the  boundless 
power  of  the  white  men's  weapons,  a  sham  battle  was  fought 
between  the  men  of  the  garrison  and  those  of  the  ship,  the 
Admiral  assuring  Guacanagari  that  so  long  as  he  had  such 
redoubtable  allies  at  hand  he  could  laugh  at  the  raids  of  the 
Caribes  or  any  other  foes  who  might  assail  him.  Training 
the  cannon  of  the  fortress  on  the  hulk  of  the  stranded  flag 
ship,  he  fired  several  shots  at  this  as  a  target.  The  stone 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  "PINTA."  2$  I 

balls  crashed  through  the  heavy  timbers  and  plunged  into 
the  sea  beyond,  amazing  and  confounding  the  assembled 
savages  with  their  prodigious  force.  With  such  mighty 
friends  to  fight  his  battles,  the  king  felt  that  he  would  in 
very  truth  be  safe  from  every  enemy.  That  he  would  remain 
on  good  terms  with  the  garrison  was  a  foregone  conclusion  ! 

When  the  hour  came  for  the  Spaniards  to  embark,  the 
king's  lamentations  could  not  be  restrained.  Colon  soothed 
his  distress  by  assuring  him  that  in  a  few  months  at  the 
most  he  would  be  back  and  would  then  make  a  long 
stay  in  his  country;  but  nothing  seemed  to  mitigate  his 
woe.  A  great  concourse  was  gathered  on  the  beach  when 
the  "  Nina's  "  boat  was  manned  to  make  her  final  trip  from 
the  shore  to  the  vessel.  Colon  was  surrounded  by  his  own 
officers  and  men  as  well  as  by  Guacanagari's  retinue.  In 
the  background  was  a  dense  throng  of  natives,  gazing  in 
wondering  curiosity  at  the  novel  scene.  Near  by  was  the 
half-finished  tower  and  palisade  of  the  fortress,  standing  on 
the  edge  of  the  forest,  in  the  clearing  made  for  its  greater 
safety.  Behind  all  rose  the  dense  wall  of  impenetrable 
woods,  with  the  palm-thatched  cabins  occupied  by  the  Span 
iards  showing  among  the  nearest  trees.  Out  in  the  offing 
rode  the  solitary  "  Nina  "  at  anchor,  and  close  by  was  the 
fatal  bank  with  the  dismantled  and  crumbling  hull  of  the  ill- 
fated  "  Santa  Maria "  outlined  against  the  green  plain  of 
the  shallow  sea.  Beginning  with  the  weeping  king,  Colon 
embraced  in  Latin  fashion  all  the  group  about  him,  bidding 
each  of  his  thirty-nine  devoted  pioneers  a  separate  and 
affectionate  farewell,  while  his  staff  made  their  adieus  in 
turn.  Then,  saluting  the  king  with  formal  dignity,  he  entered 
the  boat  and  was  pulled  from  shore.  The  first  colony  of 
Europeans  was  established  in  the  golden  Indies. 

It  was  the  Admiral's  intention  to  have  set  sail  that  same 
day ;  but  the  wind  failed  completely,  and  he  was  compelled 
to  remain  at  anchor.  The  next  day,  the  3d,  he  was  detained 
by  the  absence  of  several  of  the  interpreters  and  their  wives, 
who  had  gone  on  shore  and  were  not  able  to  return  on  ac 
count  of  the  high  sea  which  began  to  run.  It  was  not  unttf 


252       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

the  morning  of  the  4th,  that  he  was  at  length  able  to  get  under 
weigh,  and  even  then  it  proved  necessary  to  tow  the  "  Nina  " 
for  some  distance  out  of  the  harbor  before  her  sails  filled  with 
the  light  land-breeze  which  prevailed.  In  a  little  while  the 
rocky  mass  of  Cape  Caribata  hid  from  the  Admiral's  sight 
the  port  of  Navidad  and  its  familiar  scenes. 

That  he  himself  had  no  misgivings  as  to  the  welfare  of 
the  settlement  is  apparent  from  his  writings,  and,  in  fact, 
he  had  taken  every  precaution  that  knowledge  and  expe 
rience  could  suggest.  Nor  did  those  who  remained  en 
tertain  any  apprehension  of  the  future.  There  had  been 
some  natural  display  of  emotion  at  the  time  of  parting,  but 
the  members  of  the  garrison  had  shown  themselves  willing 
and  cheerful  at  the  prospect  before  them.  They  were  re 
maining  of  their  own  free  will  in  the  place  of  their  choice ; 
and  whatever  regret  or  sadness  there  was,  existed  rather  on 
board  the  ship,  among  such  of  the  crew  as  would  have  pre 
ferred  the  freedom  of  that  pleasant  life  on  shore  to  the  ar 
duous  duty  of  manning  the  departing  caravel.  In  the  one 
case  labor,  privation,  and  no  doubt  danger  were  unavoid 
able  ;  while  in  the  other  the  fortunate  colonists  were  as 
sured  of  a  long  holiday  of  agreeable  adventure  and  idle 
delight.  Therefore  the  lighter  hearts  were  those  on  shore. 
Confident  that  few  though  they  were,  they  could  withstand 
the  attacks  of  every  naked  savage  around  them,  even  should 
their  now  hospitable  friends  be  turned  into  open  enemies  by 
treachery  or  covetousness,  the  garrison  anticipated  no  evil. 
What  had  they  to  fear?  A  few  months  would  quickly  pass 
in  that  favored  region,  and  then  their  commander  would  be 
back,  bringing  them  honors  and  rewards  from  their  grateful 
sovereigns.  The  time  did  pass  as  rapidly  as  is  its  wont,  and, 
true  to  his  word,  their  leader  landed  at  Navidad  in  less  than 
ten  months  after  leaving  it.  Some  mutilated  bodies,  a  burnt 
stockade,  and  a  huddle  of  mouldy  clothes  and  frippery  were 
all  that  he  found  to  mark  the  site  of  the  colony  from  which 
he  had  hoped  so  much.  From  Diego  de  Arana,  royal  algua- 
cil  and  vice-regal  deputy,  to  the  unnamed  tailor,  every  man 
was  slaughtered,  and  not  a  word  remained  to  tell  the  tale  of 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  "  PI  NT  A  "  253 

how  or  when.     The  "  Nina's  "  crew  had  drawn  the  greater 
prize  in  the  lottery  of  life,  little  as  they  thought  it. 

Doubling  the  neighboring  headland,  the  Admiral  steered 
his  course  along  the  coast.  Throughout  the  day  the  land 
maintained  its  general  character,  —  deep  bays  alongshore, 
wide  plains  near  by,  and  lofty  mountains  in  the  distance, 
with  native  villages  scattered  here  and  there  over  the  level 
districts.  Owing  to  the  line  of  shoals  which  fringed  the 
shore,  navigation  was  not  wholly  free  from  risk,  and  Colon 
made  no  attempt  to  land.  He  aimed  to  reach  if  possible  a 
high  and  symmetrical  peak  which  seemed  to  rise  from  the 
sea  some  ten  leagues  along  the  coast  from  Navidad  ;  but  the 
wind  fell  as  evening  approached,  and  he  had  to  anchor  in  a 
port  not  more  than  half-way  to  the  landmark.  On  the  mor 
row  he  reached  it  and  named  it  Monte  Christi,  in  honor  of 
the  Saviour  whose  protection  he  had  invoked  in  starting  on 
this  homeward  voyage,  as  he  had  in  leaving  Spain.  The 
mountain  served  as  guard  to  a  deep  and  spacious  harbor 
which  offered  so  favorable  a  site  for  future  settlement  that 
the  admiral  landed  to  inspect  it.  He  found  traces  of  the 
presence  of  native  fishermen,  and  was  much  pleased  with 
the  suitableness  of  the  place,  particularly  as  he  found  an 
abundance  of  colored  stones,  quarried  as  if  by  nature,  and 
admirably  adapted  for  the  construction  of  churches  and  other 
public  buildings,  —  "  like  those  which  we  found  in  the  island 
of  San  Salvador,"  he  adds  with  a  touch  which  shows  his  close 
observation.  Here  also  he  saw  many  mastic  trees,  and  he 
returned  to  the  "Nina"  well  satisfied  with  his  examination. 
He  enters  with  an  appreciative  pen  in  his  diary  the  details 
of  the  noble  panorama  which  was  developing  before  his 
eyes  as  the  ship  pursued  her  course,  apologetically .  saying 
that  "  far  off  to  the  south  other  very  lofty  mountains  are  visi 
ble,  with  very  wide  valleys  fertile  and  sightly,  and  a  very 
great  number  of  rivers,  —  all  this  to  such  a  degree  delight 
ful  that  I  do  not  think  I  could  enhance  its  beauty  by  the 
thousandth  part."  Well  might  he  enjoy  to  the  full  the 
peaceful  scenes  on  which  his  eyes  were  feasting,  for  a  new 
season  of  trial  and  constant  anxiety  was  close  at  hand. 


254      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

On  the  following  day,  the  6th,  soon  after  noon,  the  sailor 
who  was  posted  aloft  to  keep  a  lookout  for  shoals  ahead,  sung 
out  that  he  saw  the  "  Pinta  "  in  the  distance ;  and  shortly 
afterward  that  vessel  appeared  in  plain  view  bearing  down 
upon  the  "Nina"  with  a  fair  wind.  The  near  prospect  of 
meeting  his  insubordinate  lieutenant,  which  was  thrust  thus 
suddenly  upon  Colon's  mind,  aroused  at  first  a  mighty  im 
pulse  of  angry  resentment.  The  check  given  to  his  glorious 
career  of  success  upon  success  by  the  desertion  of  Martin 
Alonzo ;  the  knowledge  that  it  would  be  imprudent,  if  not 
impracticable,  to  punish  him  for  his  rank  disobedience ;  the 
apprehension  lest  other  and  greater  troubles  might  yet  be  in 
store  for  him  from  the  stubborn  and  independent  nature  of 
the  "  Pinta's  "  captain,  —  all  these  tended  to  break  down  his 
self-control  and  tempt  him  to  indulge  in  reproaches  and  ac 
cusations.  On  the  other  hand,  he  reflected  that  although 
he  had  many  men  about  him  on  whom  he  could  rely,  the 
Pinzons  commanded  both  ships  now,  and  had  all  their  own 
friends  and  dependants  in  the  crews,  and  it  was  by  no  means 
certain  that  should  an  open  breach  arise,  he  would  gain  the 
mastery.  To  have  to  yield  to  Martin  Alonzo  in  such  a  trial 
of  strength  would  be,  he  knew,  to  place  all  the  fruits  of  this 
toilsome  enterprise  again  in  jeopardy.  Under  these  cir 
cumstances  he  resolved  to  temporize  and  conceal  as  far  as 
might  be  his  resentment,  accepting,  at  least  in  appearance, 
whatever  excuses  his  derelict  officer  might  have  to  offer. 
Therefore,  when  the  "  Pinta  "  came  within  hail,  the  Admiral 
answered  her  captain's  salutations  in  kindly  terms,  and  re 
quested  him  to  accompany  the  "  Nina  "  back  to  the  harbor 
near  Monte  Christi,  since  there  was  no  safe  anchorage  closer 
at  hand. 

When  the  two  ships  were  at  anchor,  Martin  Alonzo  came 
aboard  the  "  Nina,"  and  was  received  by  the  Admiral  with 
out  any  outward  sign  of  indignation.  Pinzon  undertook  to 
account  for  his  defection  by  saying  that  on  the  night  he  sep 
arated  from  the  flagship  on  the  Cuban  coast,  the  wind  had 
driven  him  so  far  to  the  eastward  that  when  day  broke, 
neither  fleet  nor  land  was  in  sight. 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  "  PINT  A."  255 

"  Your  Excellency  will  well  believe,"  the  wily  captain  said 
with  mock  humility,  "  the  terror  and  confusion  which  over 
came  me  at  this  untoward  discovery.  All  that  it  was  in  my 
power  to  do  to  regain  the  coast  of  Cuba,  I  did  with  my 
ship,  —  and  men  have  said  that  I  am  no  mean  sailor ;  but 
despite  my  stoutest  labors  and  all  my  indifferent  skill,  we 
were  driven  far  away  to  the  east  until  we  reached  some  bar 
ren  and  rocky  islands,  I  know  not  where.  From  there,  with 
constant  toil  and  peril,  we  have  slowly  made  our  way  to  this 
present  coast,  where,  not  many  days  ago,  I  learned  from  the 
natives  that  your  Excellency  was  not  far  away  with  but  a 
single  ship.  It  needs  not  to  be  said  that  I  lost  no  time  in 
seeking  for  your  Excellency,  to  offer  my  duty  and  place  the 
'  Pinta  '  under  your  Excellency's  orders  ;  and  grieved  I  am 
to  find  that  one  ship  alone  remains.  I  venture  to  hope  that 
your  Excellency  received  the  letter  I  sent  by  the  natives 
who  brought  me  the  joyful  tidings  of  your  Excellency's 
proximity?  " 

Of  all  this  story  the  Admiral  believed  just  one  tenth.  He 
was  sure  that  in  truth  the  "  Pinta's  "  captain  had  heard  of  his 
presence  in  that  vicinity  and  had  come  to  meet  him,  as  if 
voluntarily,  in  the  conviction  that  at  any  moment  the  Ad 
miral  might  fall  upon  him  unawares.  He  was  careful, 
however,  to  give  no  sign  of  anger  or  incredulity  as  he 
replied,  — 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  care  and  kindliness,  Senor  Martin, 
although  by  evil  chance  the  missive  you  despatched  has 
failed  to  reach  my  hands.  Most  heartily  am  I  rejoiced  to 
have  you  with  me  again,  for  the  '  Nina '  is  but  a  doubtful 
dependence  for  the  long  and  perilous  journey  that  lies  be 
fore  us,  and  our  course  must  now  be  hence  direct  to  Spain. 
The  '  Santa  Maria,'  good  ship,  lies  on  the  shoals  farther  to 
the  west,  and  a  large  part  of  her  company  remain  near  by 
for  want  of  room  to  carry  them ;  so  the  '  Pinta '  is  well 
come  for  more  reasons  than  one.  Were  you  fortunate  in 
your  search  for  gold,  good  Senor  Martin?  "  the  Admiral  con 
cluded,  as  blandly  as  a  child. 

"  I  found  no  great  store,  your  Excellency,"  Pinzon  an- 


256      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

swered,  heedless  of  the  trap  into  which  he  had  fallen  head 
long  ;  "  and  such  as  I  sometimes  got  in  traffic  with  the 
natives  where  we  landed  for  wood  or  water,  I  caused  to  be 
preserved  for  the  royal  treasury,  but  now  it  shall  be  deliv 
ered  to  your  Excellency." 

"Not  so,  Senor  Captain,"  the  Admiral  quickly  replied, 
determined  not  to  become  responsible  for  any  of  his  subor 
dinate's  possible  misdemeanors.  "  'T  were  better  to  remain 
in  your  charge,  since  by  you  it  was  discovered ;  and  when  we 
are  again  in  Spain  a  due  accounting  can  be  made  of  all  to 
their  Majesties.  I  doubt  not,"  he  added,  changing  the  sub 
ject,  "  that  your  ship  needs  overhauling,  Senor  Martin,  after 
her  dangerous  cruise.  Please  you,  therefore,  to  order  that 
she  be  put  in  condition  to  make  the  homeward  voyage,  while 
we  are  in  so  favorable  a  harbor.  Again  I  thank  you  for  your 
haste  to  join  me." 

With  this  the  first  interview  between  the  two  men  closed. 
Neither  was  deceived  by  the  attitude  assumed  by  the  other. 
But  the  advantage  lay  with  the  Admiral ;  for  his  forbearance 
robbed  Martin  Alonzo  of  any  excuse  for  criticising  his  com 
mander,  while  his  own  tale  was  known  to  be  false  by  the 
commonest  seamen.  In  the  free  intercourse  which  now 
set  in  between  the  crews  of  the  ships  which  had  been  so 
long  separated,  the  truth  was  bound  to  come  to  light ;  and 
the  more  the  Admiral  knew,  the  deeper  grew  his  indignation. 
The  very  "  Pinta  "  herself  bore  mute  testimony  to  the  falsity 
of  her  captain's  tale  ;  for  her  timbers  were  perforated  up  to 
the  water-line  with  the  tell-tale  punctures  of  the  dreaded 
teredo,  —  a  fact  eloquent  of  lengthy  anchorages  in  land 
locked  ports. 

From  the  reports  of  the  Indian  interpreters  on  the 
"  Pinta  "  and  others  of  her  crew,  the  Admiral  was  soon 
aware  of  all  that  had  befallen  that  ship  from  the  night  of 
the  2 1  st  of  November,  when  she  was  lost  sight  of,  until  the 
day  when  she  so  unexpectedly  hove  into  view.  As  he  had 
suspected,  Martin  Alonzo's  cupidity  had  been  excited  by  the 
interpreter's  tales  of  the  fabulous  wealth  of  Babeque ;  and 
on  the  night  mentioned,  finding  the  wind  favorable  and  his 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  *  PI  NT  A." 

vessel  at  some  little  distance  from  her  companions,  he  had 
deliberately  crowded  all  sail  and  left  them  to  pursue  their 
own  way,  confident  that,  as  his  desertion  could  not  be  dis 
covered  before  morning,  the  "  Pinta's "  superior  speed 
would  frustrate  any  attempt  at  pursuit.  Sailing  to  the  east 
and  northeast,  in  a  few  days  he  had  reached  a  group  of 
seven  islands,  which  the  Indians  assured  him  were  called 
Babeque  ; *  but  save  for  the  few  paltry  ornaments  worn  by 
the  inhabitants,  no  sign  of  gold  was  visible.  Realizing  that, 
either  intentionally  or  ignorantly,  he  had  been  deceived  by 
his  guides  as  to  the  wealth  of  the  island,  he  now  changed 
his  course  southward  toward  a  great  island  spoken  of  by 
the  people  of  Babeque  as  Hayti,  where,  according  to  their 
statements,  gold  was  as  abundant  as  stones.  In  a  few  days 
he  reached  its  shores,  and  found  among  the  natives  unmis 
takable  proofs  of  the  existence  of  the  metal  in  great  quantity. 
Following  slowly  along  this  coast,  he  gathered  at  every  port 
new  stores  of  gold,  until,  on  reaching  the  mouth  of  a  large 
river,  he  obtained  it  in  such  abundance  that  he  spent  six 
teen  days  at  this  one  place.  While  the  "  Pinta  "  lay  at  this 
anchorage,  Martin  Alonzo  himself  conducted  a  party  of 
twelve  of  his  men  on  a  journey  of  several  days  into  the  in 
terior,  securing  gold  to  the  amount  of  a  thousand  ounces  or 
more,  and  seizing  four  Indian  men  and  a  couple  of  women 
to  serve  as  interpreters.  This  river  he  called  the  Rio  del 
Martin  Alonzo,  after  himself;  and  it  was  here  that  he  first 
heard  vague  rumors  of  the  presence  of  other  white  men  in 
the  territory  of  Guacanagari,  not  far  off  to  the  west.  Either 
because  he  recognized  the  futility  of  trying  to  avoid  the  Ad 
miral  any  longer,  or  because  the  "  Pinta  "  had  become  so 
riddled  by  the  worms  during  her  protracted  stay  in  bad 
waters  that  he  dared  not  attempt  the  voyage  back  to  Spain 
alone,  or  from  a  mixture  of  both  reasons,  Martin  Alonzo  de 
cided  at  this  juncture  to  go  in  search  of  his  leader.  Be 
fore  leaving  the  river  he  shared  with  his  men  the  whole 

1  It  has  been  held,  with  some  plausibility,  that  these  were  the  island 
of  Gran  Caico  and  adjacent  cayos,  in  the  Bahamas  group.  Elsewhere 
the  "  shoals  of  Babeque  "  are  frequently  referred  to. 

17 


258       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

treasure  thus  far  accumulated,  taking  one  half  as  his  own 
portion  and  giving  them  the  other  half  to  divide  among 
themselves.  At  the  same  time  he  urged  his  men  to  report  to 
the  Admiral's  people,  if  they  should  meet,  that  the  "  Pinta  " 
had  been  only  six  days  in  port,  and  had  obtained  very  little 
gold.  Sailing  then  westward,  he  had  come  within  fifty 
miles  of  Navidad,  reaching  the  point  where  he  had  been 
seen  by  the  Indians  who  had  reported  the  fact  to  Guacana- 
gari.  Failing  to  find  his  sister  ships,  he  turned  about  to 
resume  the  collection  of  gold,  and  was  coasting  leisurely 
along  shore,  stopping  wherever  he  thought  advisable,  when 
the  "  Nina  "  came  in  sight.  Heading  immediately  for  her, 
as  though  she  had  been  the  only  object  of  his  search,  he 
had  joined  his  Admiral  in  the  manner  we  have  seen.  As  for 
the  letter  he  stated  that  he  had  sent  Colon,  and  the  anxiety 
with  which  he  was  seeking  the  latter  after  hearing  of  the 
loss  of  one  of  the  ships,  they  were  cut  out  of  the  whole 
cloth. 

As  little  by  little  the  Admiral  fathomed  the  full  extent  of 
Martin  Alonzo's  treachery  and  baseness,  he  found  it  the 
more  difficult  to  restrain  his  anger  and  contempt.  It 
proved  necessary  to  remain  in  the  harbor  of  Monte  Christ! 
two  whole  days,  in  order  to  repair  the  "  Pinta  "  and  supply 
both  ships  with  fresh  water ;  and  in  his  impatience  to  be 
once  more  under  sail  and  bound  for  his  sovereign's  Court, 
Colon  chafed  under  the  delay.  "  I  can  no  longer  support 
detentions  or  tarry  now  for  any  cause  whatever,"  he  writes 
in  his  diary ;  "  for  I  have  found  that  which  I  was  seeking, 
and  do  not  want  any  further  trouble  with  this  Martin  Alonzo 
before  your  Majesties  know  what  I  have  accomplished  and 
all  the  events  of  this  present  voyage.  After  that,  I  shall  no 
longer  brook  the  acts  of  evil  persons  and  those  devoid  of 
honor,  who  presume  to  do  their  own  will  without  regard  for 
him  who  has  brought  them  to  such  high  fame."  One  single 
incident  is  sufficient  to  show  how  determined  Colon  now  was 
to  hasten  his  departure  at  all  hazards.  In  filling  their  water- 
casks  from  a  small  stream  which  fell  into  the  harbor  not  far 
from  the  anchorage,  the  sailors  had  found  the  sands  on  the 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  "  PINTA." 

bottom  to  be  so  full  of  gold-dust  that  on  drawing  the  casks 
from  the  water  the  glittering  particles  were  clearly  visible, 
lodged  in  the  crevices  of  the  staves  and  hoops.  At  another 
time  the  Admiral  would  have  become  enthusiastic  over  such  a 
discovery  and  taken  the  utmost  pains  .to  secure  as  much  as 
possible  of  the  wealth  thus  offered  to  his  hand.  But  now,  after 
verifying  in  person  the  correctness  of  his  sailors'  report,  he 
contented  himself  with  naming  the  stream  the  River  of  Gold, 
and  noting  in  his  diary  that  the  fine  grains  must  have  been 
brought  down  by  the  stream  from  mines  near  by.  He 
explains :  — 

"  I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  take  any  of  the  sand  which 
contains  so  much  gold,  for  in  any  case  your  Highnesses  have  it 
all  at  the  very  doors  of  your  town  of  Navidad ;  and  it  seems 
wiser  for  me  to  make  the  more  haste  to  bear  the  news  of  these 
riches  to  your  Highnesses  and  get  rid  of  the  evil  company  in 
which  I  now  am.  They  are  people  without  shame,  as  I  have 
often  said  before." 

He  was,  in  fact,  living  in  hourly  expectation  that  Martin 
Alonzo  would  attempt  some  new  "work  of  Satan,"  as  he 
calls  it ;  nor,  as  we  shall  see,  was  his  apprehension  un 
founded.  It  is  amusing  to  find  the  great  navigator,  not 
withstanding  his  anxieties  and  cares,  solemnly  entering  in 
his  journal  that  on  the  day  when  he  went  to  examine  these 
golden  sands  he  "  saw  three  mermaids,  who  raised  them 
selves  high  out  of  the  sea ;  but  they  were  not  as  beautiful 
as  they  are  painted,  although  they  bear  a  certain  resem 
blance  to  human  creatures  in  their  faces.  I  had  seen  them 
before  when  voyaging  to  the  Guinea  Coast  and  Manegueta," 
he  adds.  It  was  in  keeping  both  with  the  times  and  with 
the  other  marvels  of  the  region  he  was  exploring  that  he 
should  have  seen  in  a  group  of  seals,  or  perhaps  the  sea- 
cows  of  these  waters,  veritable  sirens  such  as  would  have 
lured  Ulysses  to  his  doom. 

During  the  sojourn  of  the  ships  in  this  harbor  word  must 
have  been  borne  to  Guacanagari  that  the  white  men  were 
still  lingering  on  his  coasts ;  for  a  messenger  arrived  from 
the  king,  who  sent  to  beg  the  Admiral  to  return  and  receive 


260      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

the  diaho  which  had  been  promised  him.  The  purport  of 
the  message  was  not  intelligible  to  the  Admiral;  and  he 
asked  Vicente  Yanez,  who  was  standing  by,  what  he  under 
stood  to  be  its  meaning. 

"  By  your  Excellency's  leave,"  the  "  Nina's  "  captain  re 
plied,  "  diaho  in  the  speech  of  these  people  would  seem  to 
mean  figure  or  effigy ;  and  I  conceive  the  messenger  to  say 
that  the  king  craves  that  your  Excellency  go  back  to  Navi- 
dad,  that  he  may  present  your  Excellency  with  the  statue  of 
gold  which  he  pledged  himself  to  give  at  the  banquet  on 
our  taking  leave  of  him.  It  were  truly  a  royal  gift,  Senor 
Admiral." 

"  Could  we  believe  that  such  were  indeed  the  king's  in 
tent,  Senor  Vicente,  I  might  be  tempted  to  sail  once  more 
to  Navidad;  but  in  the  doubt  I  care  not  to  turn  our 
backs  on  the  homeward  course,"  the  Admiral  answered, 
his  distrust  of  Martin  Alonzo  rising  as  a  barrier  loftier 
than  Monte  Christi  itself  to  warn  him  from  returning  to 
the  colony. 

"  As  your  Excellency  wills,  Senor,"  Vicente  Yanez  said, 
with  no  little  disappointment.  "  Yet  again,  by  your  favor, 
could  your  Excellency  of  a  truth  obtain  the  effigy,  it  would 
yield  not  less  than  two  hundred  cuentos,1  and  be  a  worthy 
example  of  the  wealth  of  these  realms  for  our  gracious 
sovereigns,  whom  may  God  preserve  !  " 

"  The  thought  is  loyal,  Senor  Captain,"  Colon  responded, 
after  a  moment's  reflection  ;  "  but  it  behoves  us  not  to  linger 
on  these  shores.  In  our  hold  we  bear  abundant  measure  of 
all  that  is  needful  to  instruct  their  Majesties  as  to  the  sur 
passing  value  of  these  new  domains,  and  the  rest  can  well 
await  our  next  coming.  See  that  the  messenger  of  our  good 
friend  the  King  Guacanagari  is  rightly  entertained,  Senor 

1  A  cuento  is  a  million  maravedies.  Two  hundred  million  marave- 
dies  would  amount  to  about  two  million  and  eighty  thousand  dollars 
of  our  money.  The  story  rests  on  the  authority  of  one  of  the  bystand 
ers,  Francisco  Garcia  Vallejo,  who  gave  it  in  evidence  in  the  great 
lawsuit.  Much  of  the  material  in  this  chapter  is  drawn  from  the 
records  of  the  same  suit. 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  " PINTA."  26 1 

Vicente ;  but  when  our  sails  are  spread  again,  it  must  be  for 
Castile." 

The  Admiral's  decision,  when  it  became  known,  gave  rise 
to  much  wondering  comment  among  his  people,  —  perhaps 
as  was  his  intention.  In  any  case,  it  was  an  unmistakable 
declaration  as  to  his  purpose  to  loiter  no  longer  on  his  way 
to  Spain.  He  himself  had  already  concluded  that  he  had 
sufficient  gold  to  convince  even  the  most  incredulous  of  the 
plentiful  existence  of  the  coveted  metal  in  the  Indies  he  had 
found,  and  had  even  counted  upon  deriving  some  advantage 
from  the  disobedience  of  Martin  Alonzo.  "  For  I  recog 
nize,  Senores  Sovereigns,"  he  writes,  addressing  his  royal 
patrons  with  the  extraordinary  frankness  habitual  to  him, 
"  that  Our  Lord  miraculously  ordained  that  this  ship  [the 
*  Pinta ']  should  remain  in  that  place ;  for  it  is  the  best 
situation  in  all  the  island  for  making  a  settlement,  and  the 
nearest  to  the  mines  of  gold." 

At  midnight  on  the  8th  of  January  the  two  vessels  weighed 
anchor  and  left  the  shelter  of  Monte  Christi.  After  sailing 
for  forty  miles  to  the  eastward  along  the  coast,  they  an 
chored  on  the  afternoon  of  the  pth  under  a  cape,  which  the 
Admiral  named  Punta  Roja,  or  Red  Point.  The  following 
morning  they  continued  their  voyage,  and  reached  the  river 
which  Martin  Alonzo  called  after  himself,  and  where  he  had 
remained  so  long  and  so  profitably  with  the  "  Pinta."  Al 
though  the  Admiral  remained  here  all  the  afternoon  and 
night  of  the  loth,  he  did  not  set  his  foot  on  shore.  Re 
fusing  to  recognize  the  name  given  to  the  locality  by  his 
faithless  officer,  he  rechristened  it  himself  the  Rio  de  Gracia, 
or  River  of  Thanks,  —  as  if  from  a  feeling  of  gratitude 
that  at  last  he  was  bound  for  home,  and  drawing  daily  nearer 
the  end  of  all  his  trials.  Here,  too,  he  insisted  upon  the 
"  Pinta' s  "  captain  restoring  to  their  tribe  the  six  captives 
he  had  taken  when  he  landed  here  before.  His  lieutenant 
protested  vigorously  against  this  order ;  but  the  Admiral  was 
inflexible.  In  his  view  it  had  been  an  unwarrantable  as 
sumption  of  authority  for  his  subordinate  to  molest  the 
natives,  and  he  compelled  their  release  as  an  assurance  to 


262       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

the  population  that  no  harm  was  to  be  feared  by  the  Span 
iards.  That  Martin  Alonzo  was  willing  at  length  to  yield  to 
his  commander's  insistence  and  surrender  his  prisoners,  is 
the  first  indication  we  find  of  his  intention  to  submit  again 
to  his  commander's  supremacy. 

In  the  great  lawsuit  brought  by  Colon's  son,  Diego,  against 
the  Spanish  Crown,  the  relatives  of  Martin  Alonzo  and  es 
pecially  his  eldest  son,  Arias  Perez  Pinzon,  tried  to  turn  to 
the  advantage  of  the  senior  Pinzon  all  the  incidents  attend 
ing  the  defection  and  return  of  the  "  Pinta."  What  was  the 
one  dark  blot  on  their  friend's  fame  they  heartily  endeav 
ored  to  establish  as  a  grand  achievement  entitling  him  to  the 
glory  which  they  claimed  Colon  had  appropriated  to  him 
self.  To  accomplish  this,  they  indulged  in  what  modern 
lawyers  would  consider  some  very  adventurous  swearing,  and 
among  other  things  sought  to  make  capital  out  of  the  change 
made  by  the  Admiral  in  the  name  of  this  river.  The  altera 
tion,  they  claimed,  was  an  act  of  pure  spitefulness  and  mal 
ice,  meant  to  deprive  their  kinsman  of  the  credit  to  which 
he  was  entitled.  As  they  swore,  however,  at  the  same  time 
that  Martin  Alonzo  had  been  the  first  to  discover  Hispani- 
ola  j  that  he  had  immediately  sent  a  letter  and  chart  to  the 
Admiral  in  Cuba  advising  his  leader  of  the  discovery,  as  a 
loyal  officer  should ;  and  that  he  urged  his  commander  from 
whom  he  had  parted  by  agreement,  to  hasten  and  rejoin  the 
"  Pinta  "  in  a  country  so  abounding  in  treasure,  —  we  need  not 
pay  much  heed  to  the  Pinzon  side  of  the  case.  So  long  as 
he  faithfully  followed  his  Admiral  and  gave  him  frankly  his 
counsel  and  assistance,  Martin  Alonzo  was  entitled  to  a  gen 
erous  share  of  the  glory  of  the  whole  stupendous  success, 
for  both  his  knowledge  and  influence  had  been  invaluable 
to  Colon.  But  when  he  abandoned  his  companions  and 
started  off  to  acquire  riches  and  reputation  at  his  leader's 
expense,  the  captain  of  the  "  Pinta  "  became  that  most  con 
temptible  of  men,  —  an  envy-eaten  and  treacherous  subordi 
nate,  ready  to  betray  his  principal  and  sacrifice  his  own 
honor  so  long  as  his  greed  was  satiated  and  his  vanity  grati 
fied.  His  folly  cost  him  his  life,  and  he  is  entitled  to  his 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  "PINTA."  263 

part  of  that  charity  which  is  the  one  virtue  practised  by  the 
writers  of  obituaries.  In  those  stirring  days  in  Palos,  en 
listing  men  and  equipping  ships  for  the  great  voyage,  and  on 
the  trackless  western  ocean  encouraging  his  crew  and  up 
holding  the  authority  of  his  commander,  Martin  Alonzo  made 
a  name  which  must  ever  be  remembered  with  honor,  so  long 
as  the  New  World  has  a  history.  Pity  that  his  end  could 
not  be  like  that  of  his  younger  brother,  Vicente  Yanez, 
whose  less  overweening  ambition  yet  sufficed  to  place  him 
in  the  front  rank  of  the  world's  boldest  and  most  fortunate 
seamen,  the  discoverer  of  the  mighty  Amazon  and  the  vast 
territory  we  call  Brazil ! 


XXI. 

NORTHEAST  BY  EAST,  FOR  SPAIN  AND 
IMMORTALITY. 

LEAVING  the  Rio  de  Gracia  at  midnight  on  the  icth 
of  January,  the  Admiral  pursued  his  easterly  course 
for  two  days  without  coming  to  anchor,  on  account  of  the 
dangerous  nature  of  the  ground  alongshore.  With  a  lively 
breeze  and  a  strong  current  both  in  its  favor,  the  little 
squadron  rapidly  ran  down  the  coast,  and  by  the  afternoon 
of  the  1 2th  was  abreast  of  a  tall  headland  which  was  appar 
ently  the  limit  of  land  in  that  direction.  On  doubling  this, 
a  great  bay  appeared,  setting  far  back  into  the  island ;  and 
beyond  it  the  coast  trended  to  the  south  and  southwest,  as 
in  the  case  of  Cuba.  Judging  by  this  analogy,  the  Admiral 
argued  that  he  had  reached  the  confines  of  Hispaniola,  and 
was,  he  confesses,  "  frightened  "as  he  reflected  upon  its 
probable  extent.  He  anchored  within  this  great  bay,  which 
we  know  as  Samana,  and  sent  a  boat  on  shore  in  charge  of 
Pedro  Alonzo  Nino  to  hold  communication  with  the  natives, 
if  possible,  and  secure  a  stock  of  peppers  for  the  long  sea- 
voyage  before  them.  The  Indians  hid  themselves  at  the 
approach  of  the  Spaniards,  and  Pilot  Pedro  Nino  had  to 
return  empty-handed.  On  the  next  day  the  Admiral  would 
have  weighed  anchor  and  gone  in  search  of  a  better  anchor 
age,  for  his  present  one  was  too  much  exposed  to  be  to  his 
liking ;  but  a  strong  sea-breeze  detained  the  vessels,  as  an 
off-shore  wind  was  needed  to  let  them  escape  from  port. 
He  sent  a  boat  again  on  shore,  and  this  time  the  natives  re- 


FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMORTALITY.  26$ 

ceived  the  strangers  at  the  water's  edge.  Unlike  any  of  the 
tribes  heretofore  encountered,  these  savages  were  armed 
with  bows  and  arrows,  and  carried  long  two-edged  war-clubs 
of  heavy  wood.  They  were  totally  naked,  had  their  faces 
blackened  with  charcoal,  and  wore  their  hair,  which  was  dec 
orated  with  feathers,  in  long  locks  down  their  backs.  Alto 
gether  they  were  ugly  and  repulsive-looking,  and  wholly 
dissimilar  from  the  more  western  races.  The  boat's  crew 
offered  them  beads  and  trinkets  in  exchange  for  some  of  their 
weapons,  and  induced  one  of  the  men  to  go  back  with  them 
on  board  the  "  Nina,"  so  that  the  Admiral  might  converse 
with  him.  From  the  appearance  of  this  individual  and  the 
description  of  the  rest,  Colon  supposed  them  to  be  the 
much  talked  of  Canibals  of  the  Cubans,  or  the  Caribes,  as 
the  natives  of  Hispaniola  called  them  ;  but  on  inquiring  of 
the  Indian  before  him,  the  latter  shook  his  head  and  pointed 
still  to  the  east,  in  the  direction  of  a  shadowy  looming  of 
land  which  the  Spaniards  had  remarked  as  they  rounded  the 
cape  on  the  previous  afternoon.  The  interpreters  had  hard 
work  to  understand  the  language  spoken  by  this  savage,  as 
it  differed  materially  both  from  their  own  dialect  and  that  of 
Guacanagari's  people,  —  a  difference  which  Colon  attributes 
to  the  distance  separating  the  various  tribes  and  islands. 
After  repeated  efforts,  they  informed  the  Admiral  that  the 
Indian  said  that  the  Caribes  lived  on  an  island  not  far  to 
the  east  of  Hispaniola,  where  there  was  so  much  gold 
that  it  was  found  in  pieces  as  large  as  the  ship.  This  for 
tunate  country  was  called  Guanin.  In  the  same  quarter 
was  another  island  called  Mantinino,  which  was  inhabited 
wholly  by  women.2  The  Caribes  ranged  among  all  the 
neighboring  islands,  carrying  off  captives  to  fatten  and  de 
vour,  and  the  savages  of  Samana  had  to  fight  them  con 
stantly.  From  the  contrast  between  the  natives  at  this  end 
of  Hispaniola  and  the  handsome  and  pacific  tribes  to  the 
west,  Colon  concluded  that  the  fierce  appearance  and  war- 

1  Guanin  was  the  native  name  for  a  base  alloy  of  gold,  containing 
much  copper. 

2  Mantinino  is  supposed  to  have  been  Martinique. 


266       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

like  instincts  of  the  former  were  probably  due  to  some  inter 
mixture  with  the  ferocious  Caribes  themselves.  As  he  could 
extract  no  further  information  from  his  visitor,  he  gave  him 
his  fill  of  biscuit  and  honey,  and  sent  him  back  with  a  num 
ber  of  presents  to  his  companions,  telling  him  to  ask  them 
to  bring  whatever  gold  they  had  to  the  ships  for  barter. 
When  the  sailors  took  this  Indian  to  the  beach,  he  called 
out  to  his  fellow-tribesmen  that  the  strangers  were  friends ; 
so  that,  laying  down  their  weapons,  they  fearlessly  approached 
the  Spaniards.  The  latter  again  tendered  beads  and  pieces 
of  scarlet  cloth  in  exchange  for  bows  and  arrows,  as  the  Ad 
miral  desired  to  obtain  a  number  of  these  savage  arms  ;  but 
for  some  cause  the  Indians  became  alarmed,  and  rushing 
for  their  discarded  weapons,  presented  a  startling  front  to 
the  astonished  sailors.  Fitting  their  arrows  to  the  bows,  and 
flourishing  cords  as  a  token  that  they  intended  to  bind  the 
white  men  and  carry  them  away,  they  shouted  their  uncouth 
cries  and  appeared  to  be  on  the  point  of  making  a  general 
attack.  This  was  too  much  for  the  Spaniards  to  bear.  Al 
though  but  seven  in  number,  they  leaped  out  of  the  boat 
and  cheerily  rushed  into  the  midst  of  the  savage  mob.  One 
of  the  sailors  who  bore  a  cross-bow,  drove  a  bolt  full  into  an 
Indian's  breast ;  another,  with  his  sword,  hamstrung  a  na 
tive  as  he  turned  to  fly ;  in  a  moment  more  the  terrified 
heathen  would  have  been  massacred  in  the  approved  Cas- 
tilian  fashion,  had  not  Pilot  Pedro,  who  had  the  command, 
ordered  his  men  to  desist  and  return  to  the  boat.  When 
the  skirmish  was  reported  to  the  Admiral,  he  was  inclined  to 
feel  keenly  regretful.  It  was  the  first  blood  shed  in  anger 
in  the  new  world  he  had  discovered,  and  it  was  an  unhappy 
close  to  the  long  series  of  kindnesses  and  generous  hospital 
ity  which  he  had  elsewhere  encountered.  On  second 
thought,  he  reflected  that  since  no  greater  harm  had  re 
sulted,  it  might  be  for  the  best.  These  savages,  who  were 
plainly  of  a  more  fearless  and  quarrelsome  disposition  than 
any  he  had  as  yet  met,  had  learned  something  of  the  power 
of  the  white  men ;  and  if  the  colonists  of  Navidad  should 
reach  this  shore  on  the  coasting  journeys  which  he  had  or- 


FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMORTALITY.  26? 

dered  them  to  make,  the  natives  of  Samana  would  hold  them 
in  wholesome  dread,  and  not  lightly  attempt  to  do  them 
violence.  The  argument,  no  doubt,  was  good.  What  the 
two  mutilated  Indians  on  shore  would  have  said  to  it  we 
should  like  to  know.  Probably  they  were  disposed  of  in  the 
thrifty  Caribe  manner  by  their  relatives,  and  their  views  were 
not  considered  of  moment.  It  is  with  almost  a  sensation  of 
relief  that  we  find  some  aborigines  who  did  not  hold  any 
theory  as  to  the  celestial  origin  of  the  Europeans.  It  spoke 
well  for  their  courage  and  saved  them  a  bitter  disillusion. 

These  people  acted  as  though  fighting  Spaniards  were  an 
ordinary  pastime.  The  next  morning  they  flocked  in  num 
bers  to  the  beach,  making  gestures  that  the  strangers  should 
come  again  on  land.  When  the  Admiral  despatched  a  boat 
toward  them,  the  Indian  who  had  already  visited  the 
"Nina"  came  forward  accompanied  by  another,  who,  he 
explained  to  the  interpreters,  was  the  cacique  of  that  coun 
try.  This  chief  offered  to  the  men  in  the  boat,  through  the 
Indian  who  had  done  the  talking,  some  strings  of  rude  beads 
in  token  that  he  came  in  peace ;  and  on  understanding  this 
the  Spaniards  took  him  and  three  of  his  followers  into  the 
boat  and  rowed  off  to  the  "  Nina,"  as  this  was  what  he 
seemed  to  want.  Here  he  was  hospitably  entertained  by 
the  Admiral,  and  received  a  quantity  of  presents ;  so  that  on 
leaving  the  ship,  he  promised  to  return  on  the  following  day 
and  bring  his  host  a  golden  mask  as  a  pledge  of  friendship. 
When  the  next  day  came  it  brought  no  cacique,  although  he 
sent  to  the  Admiral  a  coronet  made  of  beaten  gold  as  a 
substitute  for  the  mask,  with  a  message  excusing  his  non- 
appearance,  on  the  ground  of  the  distance  he  had  to  travel 
from  his  town  to  the  ships.  The  Indians  flocked  down  in 
numbers  to  the  beach  on  seeing  the  boat  arrive  which  had 
been  despatched  for  the  expected  cacique,  and  showed  no 
further  opposition  to  exchanging  their  weapons  and  other 
scanty  possessions  for  the  trinkets  of  the  Spaniards.  Four 
young  natives  asked  to  be  taken  aboard  the  caravel ;  and 
they  showed  themselves  to  be  so  intelligent  and  communi 
cative  that  the  Admiral  induced  them  to  remain  with  him 


268       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

as  guides  to  the  islands  of  the  Caribes,  which  he  had  re 
solved  to  visit,  since  they  seemed  to  lie  directly  in  his  home 
ward  course.  From  these  men  he  learned  that  there  was 
not  much  gold  in  this  eastern  end  of  Hispaniola.  His  in 
formants  pointed  to  the  west  as  its  source ;  and  hence  he 
inferred  that  the  mountainous  region  which  he  had  passed, 
lying  between  the  territory  of  Guacanagari  and  that  of  this 
warrior  tribe,  must  be  the  country  of  the  mines.  What 
seems  to  have  interested  him  most  at  this  landing  was  the 
superior  character  of  the  arms  borne  by  the  savages.  "  These 
people  have  no  fear,"  he  says,  "  and  are  not  like  the  other 
tribes,  who  are  cowards  and  have  no  weapons,  in  a  senseless 
fashion."  The  bows  of  this  tribe,  he  remarks,  were  as 
long  as  those  of  the  English  and  French  archers,  and  were, 
he  thought,  made  of  a  species  of  yew.  The  arrows  were 
often  two  yards  in  length,  made  of  light  reeds  with  heads  of 
a  hard  wood,  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  long,  tipped  with  a 
fish-tooth.  "  The  most  of  them  are  touched  with  some  kind 
of  herb,"  he  adds.  The  method  of  drawing  these  bows  was 
different  from  any  he  had  seen  in  his  military  experience, 
and  altogether  he  speaks  of  them  as  formidable  weapons. 
From  the  description,  they  would  seem  to  be  identical  with 
the  arms  still  used  by  tribes  of  the  southern  continent,  and 
the  "  herbs  "  were  doubtless  the  poisonous  composition  in 
which  the  arrows  are  often  dipped.  As  for  the  prospects  of 
future  commerce  with  this  part  of  Hispaniola,  he  records 
that  although  there  were  indications  of  copper  and  gold,  the 
main  product  of  value  would  be  the  aji,  or  red  pepper, 
which  the  natives  employed  largely  in  all  their  dishes.  "  This 
is  much  better  than  pepper,"  he  writes ;  "  nobody  eats  any 
thing  without  it,  and  it  is  very  wholesome.  It  would  be 
easy  to  load  fifty  ships  a  year  with  it  in  this  island." 

Navigation  in  Colon's  time  was  the  art  of  carrying  on 
trade  by  sea  with  the  grace  of  the  keenest  blade  and  surest 
aim ;  but  he  was  one  of  the  few  who  knew  it  to  be  capable 
of  higher  uses.  One  of  the  reasons  he  gives  for  accepting 
his  detention  in  the  bay  of  Samana  so  patiently,  allows  us 
an  insight  into  that  scholarly  side  of  his  character  which  is 


FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMORTALITY.  269 

too  generally  overlooked  in  forming  a  conception  of  the 
man.  He  was  expecting,  he  says,  on  the  i  yth  of  January, 
*'  the  conjunction  of  the  moon  with  the  sun,  and  wished  to 
observe  how  this  would  result."  Besides,  there  should  occur 
at  this  season,  according  to  his  tables,  "  the  opposition  of 
the  moon  to  Jupiter,  and  her  conjunction  with  Mercury,  and 
the  sun's  opposition  to  Jupiter ;  "  and  all  this  led  him  to  be 
prudent,  "  for  it  is  the  cause  of  great  gales."  How  much  of 
this  astrological  forecast  may  be  correct,  we  do  not  pretend 
to  say.  Las  Casas,  in  editing  Colon's  diary,  observes  that 
"  these  planets  do  not  appear  to  be  correctly  collocated, 
through  the  fault  of  the  scribe  who  copied  the  diary." 
Whatever  may  be  the  proper  expression  of  the  phenomena, 
it  is  characteristic  of  the  great  sailor  that  he  should  be  an 
ticipating  their  advent  with  so  lively  an  interest,  and  should 
be  anxious  to  observe  them  in  as  favorable  a  spot  as  pos 
sible.  Unfortunately,  his  editor  has  not  preserved  Colon's 
subsequent  entries  concerning  this  first  astronomical  obser 
vation  in  our  waters. 

Before  the  eclipse  and  its  attendant  conjunctions  were 
due,  the  Admiral  was  compelled  to  leave  the  bay.  Both  of 
the  ships  had  been  taking  in  water  freely  for  a  long  time 
through  their  opening  seams ;  but  now  they  began  to  admit 
it  in  such  quantity  along  the  run  of  their  keels  that  he 
realized  that  it  would  be  dangerous  to  loiter  any  longer  on 
the  voyage.  On  the  night  of  the  i5th  a  fresh  breeze  sprang 
up  which  would  carry  him  out  of  the  bay ;  and,  fearful  of 
becoming  wind-bound  for  an  indefinite  time,  he  directed  the 
vessels  to  get  under  weigh  and  stand  out  to  sea.  He  steered 
his  course  a  little  north  of  east ;  for  in  that  quarter  lay  the 
islands  of  the  Caribes,  according  to  his  savage  guides,  and 
since  it  would  not  take  him  far  out  of  his  homeward  track, 
he  was  disposed  to  visit  the  famous  people  whose  canoes 
roved  at  will  through  these  peaceful  seas  and  imparted  such 
terror  that  their  very  names  choked  his  earlier  interpreters. 
After  sailing  some  sixteen  leagues  in  this  direction  his  Indian 
pilots  suddenly  changed  their  minds  and  pointed  to  the 
southeast  as  the  course  to  be  followed.  The  Admiral,  al- 


270      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

though  reluctantly,  gave  orders  to  steer  as  they  indicated ; 
for  if  the  distance  was  not  too  great,  he  would  rather  make 
the  deviation  than  not  explore  the  islands  of  which  he  had 
heard  so  much,  and  where  he  hoped  to  find  at  last  the  sub 
jects  of  the  Great  Khan.  The  ships  held  on  their  way  for 
a  few  miles,  in  a  direction  which  would  soon  have  brought 
them  within  sight  of  the  blue  mountains  of  Porto  Rico, 
when  the  wind  shifted  and  came  out  fresh  from  the  quarter 
that  was  fairest  for  their  homeward  voyage. 

So  long  as  they  had  hugged  the  northern  coast  of  Hayti 
they  had  known  and  cared  nothing  about  the  winds  which 
were  blowing  out  on  the  open  ocean.  Now  that  they  had 
left  land  behind  them  and  were  sailing  once  more  at  large, 
the  sailors  were  quick  to  recognize  that  the  first  steady 
wind  they  encountered  would  give  them  a  free  run  home. 
How  many  weeks  was  it  that  the  breeze  blew  them  ever 
westward  on  the  outward  voyage?  It  all  seemed  so  long 
ago  that  it  was  well-nigh  forgotten,  with  the  stupid  fears 
of  which  the  merest  boy  was  now  so  heartily  ashamed. 
But  whether  three  or  four,  it  was  an  east  wind  for  one 
week  after  another,  and  as  it  had  blown  before  so  it  might 
blow  again,  and  when,  then,  should  they  see  Spain?  At 
first  these  remarks  were  confined  to  themselves,  —  merely 
Jack  Tar's  "wondering"  why  his  commander  did  not  act 
in  a  manner  to  suit  his  crew's  ideas.  Soon  the  pilots 
caught  the  burden  of  the  seamen's  lament  and  bore  it, 
couched  in  duly  respectful  representations,  to  the  Admiral. 
The  ships  were  leaking  fast ;  the  stock  of  provisions  scanty ; 
the  men's  hearts  sinking  with  longing  to  be  on  the  other 
side  of  the  mighty  ocean  which  stretched  so  far  ahead ;  the 
winds  had  proved  uncertain  among  the  islands,  and  the 
one  prevailing  was  fresh  and  steady  for  the  shores  of  Spain. 
"  By  the  favor  of  your  Excellency,"  this,  and  "  Under  the 
Senor  Admiral's  honored  pleasure,"  that ;  but  it  was  plain 
that  reasons  were  plentiful  and  good  for  postponing  to 
another  time  the  visit  to  the  Caribes.  Colon  needed  no 
urging  to  convince  him  of  the  wisdom  of  these  arguments. 
Had  he  been  able,  he  would  have  liked  to  see  the  ferocious 


FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMORTALITY.  2/1 

creatures  who  devoured  their  fellow-men,  and  carry  a  few 
with  him  to  exhibit  to  his  royal  patrons  ;  but  it  was  not  a 
matter  of  much  import.  More  than  any  other  he  was  im 
patient  to  set  foot  again  on  Spanish  soil,  and  he  would  run 
no  risk  of  losing  so  fair  an  opportunity  of  making  a  rapid 
voyage.  To  the  joy  of  pilots  and  men,  after  scant  reflec 
tion,  he  ordered  the  ship  about  and  laid  her  head  north 
east  by  east,  —  the  quarter  where  lay  the  distant  coast  of 
Andalusia. 

The  Admiral  fully  shared  the  apprehensions  of  his  crews 
regarding  the  perilous  condition  of  the  two  caravels ;  prob 
ably  from  his  more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  vessels'  weak 
ness,  his  anxiety  was  greater  than  theirs.  Those  leaks  along 
the  keel  particularly  disturbed  him,  for  they  were  well-nigh 
inaccessible,  and  in  his  diary  he  reverts  with  bitterness  to 
the  malice  of  the  Palos  calkers  who  had  so  recklessly 
imperilled  the  safety  of  his  people.  He  adds  with  quiet 
confidence : — 

"  But  notwithstanding  the  quantity  of  water  which  the  ships 
are  making,  I  have  faith  that  our  Lord  who  brought  me  here 
will,  in  His  mercy  and  loving-kindness,  watch  over  my  return ; 
for  His  High  Majesty  well  knows  the  toil  I  suffered  before  I 
could  get  away  from  Castile,  and  that  no  one  was  on  my  side 
except  Him  only,  because  He  alone  could  read  my  heart ;  and, 
next  to  Him,  none  but  your  Majesties,  for  all  others  were  op 
posed  to  me  without  any  cause  whatever.  To  these  latter  is 
the  blame  due  that  the  royal  crown  of  your  Highnesses  has  not 
had  a  hundred  millions  of  revenue  more  than  all  it  has  enjoyed 
since  I  came  to  serve  your  Majesties,  —  which  will  be  seven 
years  on  the  2oth  day  of  this  very  month  of  January,  —  besides 
all  that  shall  be  received  in  the  future.  But  the  same  Almighty 
God  will  not  fail  to  set  all  straight." 

With  such  lofty  courage  and  sublime  faith  did  this  great 
man  face  the  long  and  dangerous  voyage  which  had  now 
begun,  as  he  had  the  still  more  daring  one  which  had  con 
fronted  him  on  leaving  Palos.  The  day  wore  on  ;  the  wind 
held  good ;  by  sunset  the  last  dim  trace  of  Hispaniola  had 
sunk  below  the  horizon.  Behind  him  lay  the  "  golden  In 
dies  ; "  before  him  was  Spain  and  a  deathless  fame.  The 


2/2   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

next  land  he  sighted  was  within  the  confines  of  the  older 
world. 

Colon  had  spent  three  months  and  five  days  in  cruising 
among  the  new  lands  he  had  discovered ;  barely  one  half 
the  time  that  he  had  intended,  as  we  have  seen.  Following 
the  coast  of  Cuba  for  nearly  four  hundred  miles  east  and 
west,  he  had  in  turn  believed  that  it  was  the  island  of  Japan, 
then  the  eastern  provinces  of  Asia,  and  finally  a  great  un 
known  island  off  the  Asiatic  shores.  The  immense  extent 
of  Hispaniola  tended  to  restore  his  conviction  that  Cuba 
was  part  of  the  mainland ;  but  as  the  natives  of  the  former 
always  referred  to  Cuba  as  likewise  an  island,  he  continued 
to  refer  to  it  as  such  until  his  second  voyage.  At  that  time 
he  skirted  its  southern  shores,  as  now  he  had  its  northern, 
for  several  hundred  miles  in  one  direction ;  and  this  restored 
him  to  his  original  belief  that  no  mere  island  could  have 
such  gigantic  proportions,  and  that  it  was  the  continent 
itself.  In  this  faith  he  continued  until  his  death,  and  his 
contemporaries  still  longer ;  for  it  was  not  until  later  years 
that  men  questioned  his  having  discovered  the  veritable 
Indies  extra  Ganges.1  His  three  subsequent  voyages — the 
second  to  the  Caribbee  Islands,  Cuba  and  Jamaica ;  the  third 
to  the  coast  of  Guiana  and  Venezuela ;  and  the  fourth  to 
Honduras  and  Central  America  —  only  strengthened  this  belief. 
The  character  of  the  natives,  the  products  of  the  whole  zone, 
the  conditions  of  climate,  and  the  strange  coincidence  by 
which  the  mistaken  distances  of  the  ancient  maps  made  the 
Asiatic  continent  and  its  adjacent  archipelagoes  fall  in  the 
longitude  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  all  supported  his  theory. 
It  is  true  that  Colon  did  not  find,  either  on  this  voyage  or 
later,  the  vast  cities  and  countless  population  celebrated  by 
Marco  Polo  and  Mandeville ;  but  he  heard  (or  fancied  he 
did)  the  names  of  the  Great  Khan  and  Cipango,  of  Quimsay 
and  Cathay,  repeated  on  all  sides,  and  hence  was  led,  natu 
rally  enough,  to  expect  to  reach  at  any  moment  the  civilized 
portion  of  the  Indies.  In  the  tales  of  cannibals  with  dogs' 
heads,  of  islands  inhabited  by  Amazons,  of  others  formed  of 

1  And  then  it  was  not  Americo  Vespucci  who  opened  their  eyes. 


FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMORTALITY.  2/3 

solid  gold,  and  the  like,  he  was  but  unconsciously  fitting  to 
the  vague  descriptions  of  the  Indians  the  ideas  already 
gathered  from  the  veracious  tales  of  the  Venetian  merchant 
and  the  English  knight.  He  followed  no  lead  blindly ;  for 
when  he  failed  to  find  Cipango  and  Babeque  in  the  places 
assigned  to  them  by  the  natives,  he  frankly  attributed  it  to 
his  own  want  of  comprehension,  and  tried  in  another  direc 
tion.  But  nothing  ever  shook  his  belief  that  these  were  the 
very  Indies  which  he  had  found  ;  and  when,  after  ten  years 
of  unsuccessful  effort  to  reach  the  borders  of  the  true 
Cathay,  he  undertook  that  last  terrible  voyage  whose  hard 
ships  led  directly  to  his  death,  it  was  to  search  for  a  strait 
connecting  the  western  ocean  with  the  middle  seas  of  India. 
Now,  as  he  was  hourly  carried  farther  and  farther  away 
from  the  glorious  region  he  had  visited,  his  mind  was  at  rest 
concerning  the  fruits  of  his  undertaking.  He  had  noticed 
that  the  Indians  navigated  fearlessly  from  island  to  island, 
even  when  these  lay  out  of  sight  of  one  another,  and  that 
they  knew  the  situation  of  other  lands  ten  and  even  twenty 
days'  journey  away.  This  sustained  him  in  arguing  in  his 
own  mind  that  if  the  wealthy  cities  and  provinces  which  he 
had  come  to  seek  had  not  been  actually  reached  on  this 
first  attempt,  it  was  merely  a  question  of  ampler  time  and 
more  adequate  equipment  when  they  should  also  be  discov 
ered.  The  road  was  opened ;  it  would  not  be  long  before 
the  world  knew  whither  it  led.  It  is  not  singular  that  his 
opinions  as  to  his  whereabouts  and  the  exact  relations  of 
his  surroundings  to  Asia  and  to  one  another  should  fluc 
tuate.  The  two  islands  he  had  skirted  so  vastly  exceeded 
in  extent  any  known  to  the  navigators  of  those  days,  that, 
until  they  had  been  circled,  it  was  impossible  to  avoid  a 
doubt  as  to  their  insular  character.  Colon's  instruments  of 
observation,  at  best  defective,  became  in  time  deranged  and 
well-nigh  wholly  useless.  When  he  applied  to  his  pilots, 
skilful  seamen  as  they  were  in  the  opinion  of  their  times, 
he  received  as  many  different  solutions  as  there  were  voices. 
Moreover,  an  intuitive  distrust,  which  his  subsequent  expe 
rience  amply  justified,  withheld  him  from  taking  his  asso- 

18 


274      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL    OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

ciates  unreservedly  into  his  confidence.  The  Indies  had 
been  found  by  him,  at  the  direct  instigation  and  under  the 
individual  protection  of  the  Almighty.  He  was  under  a 
sacred  and  ever  present  vow  as  to  the  disposition  to  be 
made  of  the  fruits  of  this  discovery  and  the  methods  by 
which  its  future  was  to  be  regulated.  "  I  protested  to  your 
Highnesses,"  he  wrote  in  his  diary  on  the  day  after  the 
wreck  of  the  flagship,  "  that  all  the  revenues  from  this  my 
enterprise  should  be  spent  upon  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem ; 
and  your  Majesties  laughed  and  said  that  you  were  willing 
and  had  the  desire  to  do  that  even  without  my  aid."  The 
people  of  the  new  countries,  as  we  know  from  his  own 
words,  were  to  be  evangelized  and  converted  to  the  true 
faith.  Such  as  refused  the  Gospel  and  continued  in  their 
darkness  were  to  be  sent  to  Europe  and  sold  as  slaves. 
None  but  "  true  Christians"  were  to  be  allowed  in  these 
fortunate  regions,  even  for  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  com 
merce,  and  all  intruders  were  to  be  repelled  at  the  cannon's 
mouth.  The  natives  of  the  new-found  Indies  were  to  be, 
in  this  world,  subjects  of  the  Spanish  Crown;  and  hence 
they  were  to  go  direct  to  the  Christians'  heaven,  there  to 
partake  of  the  joys  of  the  faithful.  With  such  beliefs  and 
projects  stirring  in  his  mind,  Colon  never  revealed  to  his 
companions  the  full  result  of  his  observation  and  reflec 
tions.  He  guarded  these  for  the  knowledge  of  his  sov 
ereigns  alone. 

One  strange  instance  of  the  perplexity  which  often  assailed 
the  Admiral  as  to  where  he  really  was  on  the  broad  face  of 
the  earth,  occurred  just  as  he  was  sailing  out  of  Samana  Bay. 
At  this  eastern  end  of  Hispaniola  he  had  found  quantities 
of  the  same  kind  of  seaweed  which  had  attracted  his  notice 
on  the  outward  passage  and  been  heralded  by  his  pilots  and 
himself  as  a  sure  sign  of  neighboring  land.  Observing  now 
closely  this  marine  herbage  he  saw  that  it  grew  on  the  rocks 
and  reefs  at  little  depth  below  the  water's  surface,  and 
thence  concluded  that  what  he  had  seen  before  must  have 
been  equally  near  some  coast.  As  his  log-book  showed  that 
he  had  first  passed  through  this  weed  when  only  four  hun- 


FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMORTALITY.  2/5 

died  leagues  west  of  the  Canaries,  the  inference  to  his  mind 
was  obvious  that  some  of  the  islands  of  the  Indies  must 
extend  to  within  that  distance  of  the  Canary  group.  The 
first  one  he  had  encountered,  Guanahanf,  was,  indeed,  nearly 
three  times  that  far  from  Ferro ;  but  this  he  explained  by 
supposing  that  he  had  passed  too  much  to  the  north  or  the 
south  of  the  most  easterly  of  the  Indies.  On  his  subsequent 
voyages,  he  hoped,  he  would  meet  with  them  when  journey 
ing  west.  Needless  to  say  that  he  never  found  them,  and 
that  the  sea- weed  he  had  first  sighted  was  only  one  of  the 
detached  fields  of  floating  Sargaco  which  encumber  the 
Atlantic  along  the  parallels  he  sailed.  But  the  little  incident, 
unimportant  in  itself,  gives  us  a  vivid  idea  of  the  groping 
and  uncertain  way  in  which  even  the  great  explorer,  with 
all  his  keen  sagacity  and  undaunted  courage,  was  feeling 
about  in  the  vast  expanse  which  lay  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  then  known  world. 

For  an  entire  week  the  two  ships  kept  on  their  north 
eastern  course,  favored  by  a  smooth  sea  and  fair  winds. 
As  they  proceeded,  the  air  grew  cooler  and  the  nights  longer ; 
and  this  the  Admiral  conceived  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
earth  grew  narrower  in  that  direction.  On  the  23d  the 
breeze  became  variable  and  often  baffling ;  so  that  the  "  Nina" 
was  called  upon  to  shorten  sail  on  account  of  her  consort's 
inability  to  sail  close  to  the  wind.  The  "  Pinta  "  was  origi 
nally  the  better  sailer ;  but  in  her  six  weeks'  solitary  cruising 
she  had  sprung  her  mizzen-mast,  and  was  now  unable  to  use 
those  sails.  This  renewal  of  anxiety  on  Martin  Alonzo's  ac 
count  was  evidently  hard  to  bear.  To  the  Admiral  every 
day's  delay  meant  fresh  danger  and  increased  risk  of  never 
seeing  Spain  again.  "  Had  her  commander,"  he  writes,  in 
commenting  upon  the  detention  to  which  he  was  again  ex 
posed  by  the  "  Pinta,"  "  taken  as  much  pains  to  provide 
himself  with  a  new  mast  in  the  Indies,  where  there  are  so 
many  and  such  excellent  ones,  as  he  did  to  separate  from 
me  in  the  hope  of  filling  his  ship  with  gold,  he  would  have 
had  everything  in  good  condition."  Happily  the  sea  con 
tinued  calm  ;  and  the  Admiral  does  not  fail  to  return  thanks 


276      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

for  this  renewed  mark  of  Divine  protection.  On  the  25th 
the  sailors  succeeded  in  catching  some  large  fish  and  a  shark 
of  enormous  proportions ;  and  this  also  was  a  cause  of  re 
joicing  with  their  leader,  —  "  for  we  had  brought  with  us  from 
the  Indies  only  wine  and  bread  and  peppers  for  food,"  he 
states.  That  the  squadron  should  have  been  so  ill  supplied 
with  provisions  for  the  long  voyage  back  to  Spain  can  only 
be  accounted  for  on  the  supposition  that  the  Admiral  had 
left  with  the  garrison  at  Navidad  whatever  stores  of  dried 
flesh  he  had,  finding  that  the  island  of  Hispaniola  produced 
no  animals  from  which  meat  could  be  obtained  in  sufficient 
quantities. 

The  winds  were  now  more  often  adverse  to  the  progress 
of  the  vessels  than  favorable  ;  and  their  course  varied  from 
one  day  to  another  all  the  way  from  due  north  to  southeast. 
They  saw  constantly  the  same  sorts  of  birds,  both  large  and 
small,  which  had  been  greeted  as  harbingers  of  land  four 
months  before ;  but  now  the  sailors  drew  no  hopeful  auguries 
from  their  presence.  Whatever  land  was  nearest  must  lie 
far  in  the  west ;  and  their  faces  were  set  this  time  toward 
the  rising,  not  the  setting,  sun.  On  the  3d  of  February 
they  had  come  so  far  to  the  north  that  the  Admiral  records 
that  the  polar  star  seemed  to  be  at  the  same  elevation  as  at 
Cape  St.  Vincent  in  Portugal ;  but  owing  to  the  unsteadiness 
of  his  little  ship  he  was  unable  to  take  a  correct  observation 
with  his  rude  astrolabe  and  quadrant.  If  his  estimate  was 
exact,  he  must  have  been  about  in  the  latitude  of  Cape 
Hatteras,  and  a  matter  of  one  third  across  the  Atlantic. 
The  wind  here  changed  for  the  better,  and  the  vessels  were 
able  to  hold  steadily  on  their  easterly  course  for  the  space 
of  ten  days,  making  eight  or  nine  miles  an  hour  day  and 
night.  The  variations  in  their  direction  and  the  want  of 
reliable  observations  had  by  this  time  destroyed  the  value  of 
any  computations  as  to  their  precise  whereabouts ;  the 
squadron  was  driving  whither  the  wind  compelled,  all  hands 
contented  in  that  their  advance  was  mainly  toward  the  east. 
The  sea  was  covered  with  a  kind  of  weed  which  the  Admiral 
had  seen  in  the  Azores,  differing  widely  from  that  which 


FOR  SPAIN  AND  IMMORTALITY.  2/7 

grew  near  the  Indies ;  but  he  judged  by  the  coolness  of  the 
air  that  he  was  not  yet  near  the  Portuguese  islands.  On 
the  6th  and  7th  the  pilots  compared  notes,  with  as  wide  a 
variance  in  results  as  that  of  the  traditional  physicians. 
Vicente  Yanez  claimed  that  they  were  to  the  south  of  Flores, 
the  westernmost  of  the  Azores,  with  the  island  of  Madeira 
due  east  of  their  bows.  Roldan  thought  they  were  almost 
past  the  easternmost  of  the  Azores,  and  were  heading  straight 
for  Porto  Santo.  Pedro  Alonzo  Nino  was  for  insisting  that 
they  were  passing  between  the  islands  of  the  Portuguese 
group,  although  no  land  was  visible.  By  the  loth  they  had 
made  four  hundred  miles  farther  easting,  with  a  considerable 
reach  to  the  southward ;  and  as  no  signs  of  land  appeared, 
the  pilots  began  to  be  anxious.  The  ships  were  leaking 
like  sieves,  the  provisions  were  growing  scarce,  firewood  and 
water  alike  were  at  a  low  point,  and  it  was  plain  to  the 
crews  that  the  pilots  did  not  know  where  they  were.  Another 
consultation  was  held  in  the  Admiral's  cabin.  He  and  all 
the  hard-headed  and  stout-hearted  navigators  who  were 
with  him  had  each  drawn,  according  to  their  respective 
lights,  their  own  charts  of  this  extraordinary  voyage. 
Whether  one  man  could  understand  another's  map  is 
more  than  doubtful ;  but  in  those  days  what  men  did 
not  understand  they  undertook  on  the  strength  of  an  un 
flinching  courage  and  a  muttered  Paternoster.  Vicente 
Yanez  and  the  three  pilots  Roldan,  Sancho  Ruiz,  and  Pedro 
Alonzo  were  now  unanimous  in  placing  the  ships  well  to  the 
east  of  the  Azores  and  in  the  near  vicinity  of  Madeira. 
There  was  much  hot  disputation  and  jotting  down  of  crabbed 
figures  to  sustain  their  several  contentions ;  but  the  Admiral 
differed  from  them  all. 

"  Against  so  many  and  such  able  navigators,  'tis  ill  con 
tending  with  a  single  voice,  good  masters,"  he  said,  after 
hearing  their  opinions ;  "  but  for  my  part  't  is  clear  that  you 
place  us  a  full  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  too  near  Cas 
tile.  Under  your  correction,  I  hold  that  we  are  only 
now  in  the  longitude  of  Flores,  and  that  Madeira  lies  not 
far  to  the  southeast.  Were  we  to  keep  still  eastward,  if 


2/8        WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

my  judgment  does  not  greatly  err,  we  should  reach  land 
not  far  from  Nafe,  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  But  all  this  is 
as  yet  conjecture ;  and  we  shall  only  know  with  certainty 
when,  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  get  a  glimpse  of  some 
shore." 

In  his  own  mind  the  Admiral  was  sorely  perplexed  as  to 
where  he  was,  although  he  believed  that  his  calculation  was 
much  more  nearly  correct  than  that  of  his  companions. 
Not  only  had  he  kept  a  careful  and  painstaking  reckoning  of 
each  day's  run,  with  allowances  for  drift  and  currents,  and 
checked  this  whenever  possible  by  stars  and  sun,  but  he 
had  maintained  a  scrupulous  watch  over  the  surface  of  the 
sea  as  well.  Each  trifling  indication  which  might  serve  as 
a  hint  to  fix  his  knowledge  as  to  what  portion  of  the  sea 
they  were  sailing  was  noted  ;  and  he  compared  his  observa 
tions  with  his  previous  studies  of  these  same  waters  on 
earlier  cruises.  His  journal  told  him  that  on  the  outward 
voyage  he  had  first  seen  the  western  sea-weed  at  about 
three  hundred  leagues  from  Ferro ;  he  now  argued  that  as 
they  had  but  recently  lost  the  last  of  that  weed,  they  must 
be  approximately  in  that  same  latitude,  which  would  be  that 
of  Flores.  As  this  coincided  closely  with  his  computations, 
he  had  the  greater  confidence  in  their  exactness,  and  so 
maintained  them  against  the  united  opinions  of  his  pilots. 
These  latter,  however  they  might  differ  from  him,  adopted 
his  reckoning  without  remonstrance,  keeping  the  while  a 
sharp  look-out  for  land.  In  a  few  hours  they  were  to  have 
abundant  cause  both  to  praise  their  leader's  sagacity  as  a 
navigator  and  be  grateful  for  his  skill  as  a  cool  and  fearless 
seaman.  * 


XXII. 

"THERE  WERE  NO  TEMPESTS  IN  THE   INDIES." 

FOR  six  months  Colon's  tiny  ships  had  been  at  sea,  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  in  untravelled  waters,  and  thus 
far  he  had  been  spared  the  one  danger  which  was  most 
reasonably  to  have  been  expected.  The  proverbial  terrors 
of  the  deep  had  been  but  words  to  conjure  by ;  and  even 
the  perils  of  shipwreck  had  been  passed  without  a  timber 
parting  or  a  green  wave  being  shipped.  For  such  an  un 
hoped  blessing  he  had  not  failed  on  frequent  occasion  to 
render  thanks  where  they  were  due,  and  to  enter  in  his 
diary  his  sense  of  the  vast  importance  to  his  work  of  so 
providential  an  ordering.  Now,  however,  both  his  faith  and 
his  fortitude  were  called  upon  to  bear  a  strain  which  was  all 
the  more  bitter  because,  like  Caesar's  bark,  the  little  cara 
vels  were  freighted  with  the  fortunes  of  a  world.  Un 
known  and  unlocated,  save  by  those  on  board,  the  new 
hemisphere  must  disappear  if  disaster  should  befall  the  frail 
squadron  which  bore  the  mighty  tidings. 

On  Tuesday,  the  1 2th  of  February,  the  sky  was  overcast, 
and  the  wind  changed  to  a  roaring  gale,  lashing  the  sea  into 
frothy  rage,  and  from  the  very  outset  putting  the  undecked 
vessels  to  imminent  danger  of  destruction.  As  the  night 
wore  on,  the  tempest  increased  until  both  ships  were  run 
ning  before  it  under  bare  sticks,  their  seams  yawning,  and 
the  only  doubt  as  to  their  otherwise  assured  fate  being 
whether  they  should  founder  from  the  weight  of  water  entering 
them  from  underneath  or  overhead.  As  the  Admiral  stood 
at  his  lofty  post  on  the  "  Nina's  "  castle,  scanning  as  far  as 


28O       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

might  be  in  the  gloom  the  yeasty  confusion  through  which  his 
craft  was  driving,  he  saw  with  still  increasing  anxiety  three 
vivid  tongues  of  forked  lightning  flash  out  in  quick  succes 
sion  from  the  pitchy  blackness  toward  the  northeast.  To  his 
companions  this  was  only  an  incident  in  the  furious  gale  ; 
but  to  him  it  was  a  boding  of  greater  trouble  yet  in  store. 

"Three  times  it  lightened  from  the  selfsame  quarter. 
Saw  you  that,  Senor  Vicente?"  he  asked  of  the  captain, 
who  stood  at  his  elbow.  "  My  heart  misgives  me  that  from 
there,  or  its  antipodes,  we  shall  have  still  wilder  blasts  before 
the  morning  light." 

"  'T  were  then  a  case  for  Miserere  Domine,  Senor," 
shouted  Vicente  Yanez,  in  reply ;  "  for  little  more  can  this 
poor  ship  endure.  I  have  not  seen  the  '  Pinta's '  light  since 
early  evening,  and  I  fear  her  plight  is  worse  than  ours,  —  so 
riddled  are  her  timbers  by  those  voracious  worms." 

"  God's  will  be  done,  good  captain  ! "  the  Admiral  re 
sponded.  "  He  holds  us  all  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand. 
But  I  think  not  that  evil  has  befallen  our  companion,  for  I 
saw  her  lantern  astern  within  the  hour." 

When  the  morning  came  both  of  Colon's  anticipations 
proved  to  be  well  founded.  For  a  brief  spell  the  wind  lost 
some  of  its  violence  ;  and  the  "  Pinta,"  which  had  weathered 
the  night  in  safety,  rejoined  her  sister  ship.  But  later  in  the 
day,  with  a  shriek  of  warning,  a  fresh  gale  fell  upon  the 
caravels  and  drove  them  staggering  and  helpless  through 
the  thundering  seas,  now  dashing  and  crossing  in  blind  fury 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  So  long  as  the  tormented 
vessels  were  forced  in  one  direction  with  the  rolling  billows 
they  had  some  chance  of  riding  out  the  storm ;  but  now 
that  the  wind  had  shifted  and  heaped  great  walls  of  angry 
water  against  the  course  of  the  earlier  surge,  the  short, 
round-bottomed  tubs  were  tossed  at  large  in  this  direction 
and  in  that,  threatened  with  annihilation  by  every  swelling 
crest  that  rose  skyward  alongside  their  weak  hulls.  All  the 
night  of  the  i3th  this  merciless  plunging  continued.  To 
lift  his  ship  a  little  out  of  the  crazy  dance  of  the  cross-seas, 
the  Admiral  ordered  a  corner  of  the  mainsail  to  be  raised, 


"NO    TEMPESTS  IN  THE   INDIES:'  28 1 

—  a  measure  which  steadied  her  somewhat,  though  at  im 
minent  risk  of  carrying  the  mast  overboard  at  each  fresh 
blast.  A  little  additional  relief  was  had  by  filling  all  the 
empty  wine  and  water  casks  with  salt  water,  to  serve  as  bal 
last.  The  Admiral  had  not  ballasted  the  ships  in  Hispaniola, 
intending  to  do  this  at  the  Caribes'  island,  where  he  had 
expected  to  touch  on  leaving  Samana.  As  their  stock  of 
liquids  was  exhausted,  the  vessels  grew  lighter  until,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  preservation  of  the  empty  casks,  they  might 
have  been  swamped  a  dozen  times  in  the  course  of  these 
terrible  days. 

Daylight  broke  on  the  i4th  over  so  wild  and  frenzied  a 
whirl  of  angry  sea  and  hopeless  sky,  that  the  bravest  seamen 
gave  themselves  up  for  lost,  and  crouched  sullenly  in  the  lee 
of  the  bulwarks,  waiting  the  end  in  stolid  impotence.  With 
anxious  hearts  the  Admiral  and  Vicente  Yanez  had  tried  to 
pierce  the  driving  mist  of  spray  and  rain,  to  catch  some  sign 
of  the  "  Pinta ;  "  but  nothing  met  their  eyes  but  flying  scud 
and  combing  crests.  During  the  night  the  "Nina"  had 
been  driven  several  miles  away  from  her  consort ;  but  for 
many  hours  an  answering  flash  had  come  from  Martin 
Alonzo's  vessel  as  the  Admiral  burned  his  flares  to  signal 
his  own  safety  and  inquire  for  that  of  his  companion  ship. 
Even  when  the  latter  ceased  to  respond,  he  had  not  thought 
the  worst,  for  the  night  was  thick  and  both  craft  were  plung 
ing  wildly,  so  that  distance  and  the  mountainous  waves 
might  account  for  his  failure  to  see  the  answering  gleams  of 
the  feeble  torches.  But  when  the  full  light  of  day  showed 
no  sign  of  the  "  Pinta,"  he  gave  her  up  for  lost,  mindful  of 
her  leaky  condition  and  the  weakness  of  her  masts.  As  the 
word  passed  among  the  sailors  that  the  other  ship  was  gone, 
they  merely  shook  their  heads  and  muttered  a  short  prayer 
for  their  comrades'  souls.  To  them  it  was  only  a  question 
of  a  few  hours,  more  or  less,  when  they  too  should  meet  a. 
like  evil  fate.  The  Admiral  himself  abandoned  all  hope  of 
seeing  another  night  unless  by  a  miracle  of  the  Almighty  .j 
but  in  his  deep  extremity  he  called  upon  Him  with  constant 
prayer  and  unshaken  trust. 


282       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

As  became  a  good  son  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  he  also 
invoked,  after  the  manner  of  his  times,  the  intervention 
of  those  saints  whose  aid  was  likely  to  prove  most  effica 
cious.  Sending  for  a  handful  of  flat  beans,  he  counted 
out  as  many  as  there  were  souls  on  board,  and  marking  a 
single  one  with  a  cross,  shook  them  thoroughly  in  a  sea 
man's  cap,  and  called  upon  the  crew  in  the  order  of  their 
rank  to  draw  one.  He  upon  whom  the  lot  fell  was  to 
vow  that  if  the  ship  were  only  spared,  he  would  make  a 
pilgrimage  to  the  famous  shrine  of  the  Virgin  of  Guada- 
loupe,  bearing  as  an  offering  a  weighty  candle  of  pure 
white  wax.  His  being  the  first  turn,  the  Admiral  solemnly 
thrust  his  hand  into  the  cap  and  drew  out  a  bean  from  the 
sixty  or  more  therein  contained.  It  bore  the  cross.  Rev 
erently  making  the  same  sign,  he  confirmed  his  vow  and 
called  upon  his  companions  to  invoke  each  the  aid  of  his 
own  patron  saint  in  this  hour  of  desperate  need.  It  was 
suggested  that  a  pilgrimage  should  also  be  vowed  to  the 
shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Loreto,  whose  miracle-working 
powers  were  famous  throughout  the  South  of  Europe.  The 
lots  were  again  drawn,  and  this  time  the  marked  bean  fell 
to  one  of  the  sailors,  —  Pedro  de  Villa,  from  the  town  of 
Santa  Maria,  near  Palos.  As  the  journey  to  Loreto  would 
involve  considerable  expense,  the  Admiral  promised  to  de 
fray  the  costs  if  they  reached  land  in  safety.  Some  of  the 
seamen  whose  piety  was  of  a  more  local  type,  now  asked 
that  a  pilgrimage  be  vowed  to  Santa  Clara  of  Moguer,  a 
church  much  sought  by  the  mariners  of  Andalusia  when  set 
ting  out  on  voyages.  Whoever  should  draw  this  lot,  it  was 
established,  was  to  watch  a  whole  night  at  the  altar  of  that 
church,  and  have  a  Mass  of  thanksgiving  celebrated  as  well. 
Once  more  the  cap  was  shaken,  and  a  second  time  the  cross 
lay  in  the  Admiral's  hand.  This  repetition  of  his  former 
fortune  served  greatly  to  animate  and  console  Colon.  He 
pointed  out  to  his  awestruck  men  that  since  he  had  been 
chosen  by  Providence  to  make  two  pilgrimages,  k  must  be 
because  he  was  to  be  saved ;  and  if  he,  their  leader,  was  to 
escape,  it  was  clear  that  they  must  also.  As  a  final  token  of 


"NO    TEMPESTS  IN  THE  INDIES."  283 

devotion  and  humility,  he  now  registered  a  vow,  in  which  he 
was  joined  by  the  whole  ship's  company,  that  wherever  they 
all  or  any  of  them  should  first  set  foot  on  shore,  there 
would  they  march  in  pious  procession,  dressed  only  in  their 
shirts  and  bearing  lighted  tapers,  to  the  nearest  church,  and 
solemnly  render  up  thanks  for  their  miraculous  preservation. 
Somewhat  soothed  by  these  devout  exercises,  Colon  set 
about  a  measure  of  a  more  worldly  nature,  but  one  not  the  less 
near  to  his  heart  on  that  account.  If  his  vows  and  petitions 
should  not  prove  acceptable  to  the  Almighty,  he  was  dis 
tressed  to  think  that  the  glorious  outcome  of  his  long  life  of 
struggle  and  contention  would  be  lost  to  the  world  at  large, 
and  his  royal  patrons  in  particular.  Withdrawing,  therefore, 
to  his  cabin,  he  wrote  down  on  a  sheet  of  parchment,  as  best 
he  could  in  the  desperate  circumstances  of  the  moment,  a 
plain  and  succinct  relation  of  his  voyage  from  the  Canaries 
to  San  Salvador,  his  discoveries  in  the  Indies,  the  inci 
dents  of  the  return  voyage,  and  the  perils  by  which  his  ship 
was  at  that  hour  surrounded.  Rolling  this  up,  he  endorsed 
on  it  a  request  that  whoever  should  find  it  should  forward  it 
to  their  Majesties  of  Spain,  for  which  service  he  promised  a 
reward  of  one  thousand  ducats.  The  parchment  was  wrapped 
securely  in  a  piece  of  waxed  cloth,  and  the  parcel  enclosed 
in  a  tightly  bound  cask  which  he  caused  to  be  heaved  over 
board.  To  no  one  did  he  communicate  his  action,  lest  they 
should  lose  heart  still  more  at  his  apparent  want  of  hope ; 
and  those  men  who  saw  the  cask  thrown  over  the  vessel's 
side,  supposed  that  it  contained  the  effigy  of  some  saint  or 
other  pious  token  consigned  to  the  waves,  as  was  not  infre 
quently  done  on  occasions  of  dire  distress  at  sea.  In  the 
entry  calmly  made  in  his  diary  after  completing  this  act,  we 
can  read  the  soul  of  the  man  as  though  it  were  mapped  and 
charted  before  our  eyes  in  copperplate.  Without,  the  gale 
raged  with  unabated  fury,  and  at  almost  every  word  Colon 
must  have  had  to  suspend  his  writing,  as  the  ship  lurched 
here  or  plunged  there  in  the  whirling  caldron  of  waters. 
As  he  wrote  down  the  record  of  his  stupendous  achievement, 
and  reflected  on  the  countless  obstacles  and  dangers  he  had 


284      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

already  been  permitted  to  surmount,  his  hopes  ran  high  that 
the  present  extremity  also  would  pass  away,  and  his  work  be 
spared  for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  He  wrote  :  — 

"Mayhap  the  fervent  desire  which  I  have  to  bear  this  marvel 
lous  news,  and  to  show  that  what  I  maintained  and  offered  to 
discover  has  proved  to  be  exact,  has  led  me  to  feel  this  great 
fear  lest  I  should  not  be  spared ;  so  that  at  present  every  mos 
quito  has  it  in  its  power  to  disturb  and  vex  me.  Surely  this  is 
due  only  to  my  own  weak  faith  and  want  of  confidence  in  Divine 
Providence !  The  thought  of  the  many  mercies  which  God  has 
shown  me  in  permitting  me  to  achieve  so  great  a  victory,  not 
withstanding  the  many  adversities  and  embarrassments  which  I 
suffered  before  leaving  Spain,  should  sustain  me  in  this  hour. 
To  His  hands  I  committed  my  undertaking,  and  to  His  guidance 
I  left  it  all ;  and  He  has  heard  my  prayers  and  granted  all  I 
asked.  Why  should  I  doubt,  then,  that  He  will  complete  what 
has  been  commenced,  and  bring  us  all  to  safety?  On  the  out 
ward  voyage  I  had  far  greater  cause  for  fear  in  the  trials  which 
I  had  to  endure  with  the  seamen  and  others  with  me,  all  of 
whom  determined  with  one  voice  to  turn  back,  and  arrayed 
themselves  against  me  with  many  threats.  Yet  the  Eternal  God 
not  only  gave  me  courage  and  strength  to  overcome  at  that  time, 
but  afterward  showed  to  me  and  through  me  many  other  mar 
vels,  besides  saving  me  from  the  evil  designs  of  certain  of  my 
own  household.  With  these  instances  of  His  mercy,  I  can  have 
no  cause  for  dread  in  this  present  tempest.  It  is  my  own  weak 
ness  and  lack  of  faith  which  will  not  allow  my  mind  to  be  calm. 
My  heart  also  fails  me  when  I  think  of  my  two  boys,  who  will 
be  left  without  father  or  mother  in  a  strange  land  if  aught  be 
falls  me ;  and  I  grieve  to  think  that  my  sovereigns  should  not 
know  of  the  services  I  have  rendered  them  by  this  voyage,  and 
that  God  has  given  their  Majesties  the  victory  in  all  they  desired 
from  this  enterprise.  I  would  also  that  their  Highnesses  should 
know  that  there  were  no  tempests  in  the  Indies,  as  may  be 
clearly  seen  from  the  grasses  and  trees  which  grow  down  to  the 
water's  edge." 

It  was  for  all  these  reasons,  he  concludes,  that  he  had  pre 
pared  the  story  of  his  expedition,  and  committed  it  to  the 
waves. 

But  what  a  touch  of  character  lies  in  that  last  clause  ! 
Come  what  might,  he  wanted  justice  to  be  done  to  that  new 


"NO    TEMPESTS  IN  THE  INDIES."  285 

world  beyond  the  Ocean  Sea,  —  his  world.  Despite  all  the 
baleful  prophecies  of  ignorance  and  fear  with  which  for 
twenty  years  he  had  been  surfeited,  it  was  not  in  the  western 
seas  that  he  had  been  in  jeopardy.  It  was  here,  near  home, 
in  the  waters  claimed  by  Portugal  and  Castile.  In  the  In 
dies  were  no  tempests  ! 

As  that  trying  day  drew  to  its  close,  the  wind  fell  some 
what,  though  the  sea  was  as  boisterous  as  ever  and  the 
"  Nina  "  shipped  great  quantities  of  water.  After  dark  the 
sky  began  to  clear,  and  by  midnight  the  Admiral  was  able 
to  set  a  small  sail  and  run  before  the  wind.  By  morning  on 
the  1 5th,  the  sea  too  had  abated,  and  shortly  after  sunrise 
the  welcome  cry  of  "  Land  !  "  came  from  the  lookout  in  the 
bows.  So  confused  had  the  pilots  become  by  the  erratic 
course  taken  by  their  ship  as  the  gale  drove  them  hither 
and  thither  over  the  face  of  the  ocean,  that  they  did  not 
agree  within  a  thousand  miles  as  to  what  the  land,  now  show 
ing  plainly  in  the  southeast,  should  be.  Some  held  that  it 
was  the  island  of  Madeira,  while  others  were  as  confident  that 
it  was  the  Rock  of  Cintra,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tagus ; 
and  a  third  group  insisted  that  they  were  in  sight  of  the 
coast  of  Spain  itself.  The  Admiral,  however,  had  followed 
the  wanderings  of  his  vessel  with  a  narrow  attention,  and 
was  of  the  opinion  that  they  had  before  them  one  of  the 
Azores.  The  pilots,  he  contended,  allowed  too  easterly  a 
position  in  their  surmises.  It  was  evidently  an  island  they 
discovered  on  drawing  nearer ;  but  the  strong  head  wind  and 
sea  prevented  them  from  approaching  it.  In  the  afternoon 
they  descried  another  island,  just  before  darkness  fell  upon 
them  and  hid  both  from  their  sight. 

As  the  "  Nina  "  was  beating  about  in  her  effort  to  fetch 
the  coast  first  seen,  Colon  again  sat  quietly  in  his  cabin, 
completing  the  letter  which  he  had  been  writing  on  the 
homeward  passage  to  his  friend  Don  Luiz  de  Santangel,  the 
Treasurer  of  their  Majesties  for  the  Kingdom  of  Aragon. 
To  this  courtier's  courageous  intervention,  as  we  have  seen, 
he  owed  the  change  of  Queen  Isabella's  purpose  after  she 
had  declined  to  accede  to  his  demands  in  the  camp  before 


286   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Granada ;  and  to  him  the  Admiral  felt  was  due  a  personal 
account  of  the  results  of  the  enterprise  to  whose  success 
he  had  so  largely  contributed.1  With  the  prospect  before 
hira  of  so  soon  being  once  more  in  port,  Colon  closed  his 
letter  in  a  strain  of  gladness  which  forms  a  striking  contrast 
to  the  phrases  of  the  previous  day.  He  wrote  :  — 

"  All  Christendom  should  rejoice  and  make  great  festival  be 
cause  Our  Redeemer  has  given  this  victory  to  our  illustrious 
King  and  Queen,  and  to  their  mighty  Realm  ;  and  to  the  Holy 
Trinity  should  solemn  thanks  be  offered,  with  many  prayers,  for 
the  mighty  glory  they  shall  have  in  the  addition  of  so  many  peo 
ples  to  our  Holy  Faith.  Thanks  also  are  due  for  the  temporal 
blessing  in  that  not  only  Spain,  but  all  Christian  men  shall  re 
ceive  from  this  enterprise,  and  that  very  soon,  so  great  comfort 
and  advantage."  2 

The  night  of  the  i5th  was  passed  in  cautiously  tacking  to 
and  fro  in  the  vicinity  of  the  two  islands ;  but  when  day 
dawned,  the  "  Nina's  "  company  could  discern  neither  on 
account  of  a  fog  which  had  suddenly  shut  down.  All  day 
long  they  cruised  about,  on  the  i6th,  searching  for  the  lost 
landfall ;  but  the  only  indication  they  had  was  that  one  of 
the  sailors  saw  a  light  to  leeward,  as  the  night  was  closing 
in.  Again  they  beat  about  under  shortened  sail  until  the 
morning,  and  for  the  first  time  in  four  days  the  Admiral 
threw  himself  on  his  bed  and  tried  to  take  some  rest.  The 
ship  was  barely  making  a  wake,  the  sea  had  subsided  into 
the  rolling  swell  which  follows  a  storm,  the  sky  was  clear,  and 
the  breeze  light ;  so  he  felt  no  apprehension.  The  long  ex 
posure  to  cold  and  wet  on  these  fearful  days  and  nights, 
coupled  with  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  food  for  most  of 
the  time,  had  caused  his  legs  to  swell  to  such  an  extent  that 

1  It  has  been  often  held  that  Santangel  furnished  individually  the 
funds  for  the  voyage ;  but  that  this  is  an  error  is  shown  by  the  docu 
ments  from  which  extracts  are  given  in  Note  F. 

2  This  letter  is  dated  "  On  board  the  caravel,  off  the  Canary  Isl 
ands,  the  1 5th  of  February,  1493."     Either  this  was  a  slip  of  the  pen, 
or  the  Admiral  at  the  moment  was  leaning  to  the  opinion  that  the 
Canaries  were,  in  truth,  at  hand.     A  postscript  was  added  at  Lisbon, 
as  will  appear  later  on. 


"A'0    TEMPESTS  IN  THE  INDIES."  28/ 

they  could  no  longer  bear  his  weight.  For  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  he  was  a  sufferer  from  gout,  and  in  many  of  the 
later  crises  in  his  career  we  find  him  assailed  by  this,  the 
most  vindictive  of  his  adversaries.  Fortunately  for  him,  this 
night  passed  without  incident,  and  he  was  allowed  to  rest  in 
peace.  When  the  sun  rose  on  the  following  morning,  —  Sun 
day,  the  i  yth,  —  the  land  they  had  lost  sight  of  was  distinctly 
visible  again  to  the  southeast.  Baffling  winds  obliged  them 
to  waste  the  day  in  fruitless  attempts  to  make  the  coast,  and 
it  was  evening  before  they  reached  it.  Even  then  the  haze 
was  so  thick  that  no  one  could  assert  with  confidence  what 
land  it  was,  and  they  crept  slowly  alongshore  looking  for  a 
harbor.  At  last  they  came  to  anchor  in  what  seemed  to  be 
a  favorable  spot,  only  to  have  the  cable  part  and  be  obliged 
to  put  to  sea  for  another  night.  By  sunrise  the  caravel  had 
made  nearly  the  entire  circuit  of  the  island,  and  reached  a 
place  which  promised  better  anchorage.  Seeing  a  few  houses 
on  the  beach,  the  Admiral  sent  a  boat  on  shore  to  inquire 
just  where  they  were.  The  men  soon  returned  with  the  news 
that  it  was,  in  fact,  Santa  Maria,  one  of  the  Azores,  and  that 
at  San  Lorenzo,  a  short  distance  farther  along  the  shore,  a 
good  harbor  would  be  found.  The  inhabitants  with  whom 
the  sailors  had  spoken,  had  looked  upon  it  as  a  miracle  when 
they  heard  that  the  little  vessel  had  weathered  the  fearful 
gales  of  the  previous  week,  and  said  that  among  the  islands 
the  tempest  had  lasted  for  a  fortnight  without  intermission. 
If  they  were  amazed  at  seeing  the  "  Nina  "  emerge  in  safety 
from  such  an  ordeal,  their  wonder  knew  no  bounds  when 
they  heard  that  the  same  tiny  vessel  had  twice  traversed  the 
mysterious  Western  Ocean  and  visited  the  Golden  Indies  on 
the  other  side  of  the  world.  When  the  boat  left  them,  the 
islanders  set  off  at  full  speed  to  carry  the  astonishing  tidings 
to  the  little  government  town. 

The  Admiral  weighed  anchor  without  delay,  and  made 
for  the  port  of  San  Lorenzo.  The  sun  had  set  when  he 
reached  it  and  brought  his  ship  again  to  anchor  as  near 
the  beach  as  was  safe ;  but  three  men  were  already  stand 
ing  on  the  shore  in  evident  expectation  of  his  arrival. 
Hailing  the  ship,  they  said  they  wished  to  know  the  object 


288      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

of  her  visit ;  so  Colon  sent  the  boat  to  shore  with  one  of 
his  pilots  to  make  the  necessary  report.  The  three  men 
invited  the  Spaniards  to  accompany  them  to  the  town,  which 
was  some  distance  away,  in  order  to  converse  with  the  gov 
ernor  or  captain  of  the  island,  Senor  Juan  de  Castaneda, 
who  represented  in  Santa  Maria  the  Crown  of  Portugal. 
This  official  received  the  pilot  and  his  companions  with 
marked  civility,  and  was  profuse  in  his  admiration  of  the 
extraordinary  exploit  which  he  heard  they  had  accom 
plished.  In  earlier  days,  he  declared,  he  had  known  their 
commander,  the  honored  Senor  Cristoval  Colon,  very  well, 
and  had  the  highest  admiration  for  him  as  an  intrepid  and 
sagacious  navigator.  After  offering  them  such  refreshment 
as  he  had  on  hand,  the  governor  urged  the  pilot  and  two  of 
his  companions  to  spend  the  night  with  him  on  shore,  pro 
posing  to  send  back  his  own  messengers  with  the  rest  of  the 
boat's  crew  to  the  "  Nina."  The  invitation  was  promptly 
accepted.  The  party  returning  to  the  ship  were  laden  with 
a  generous  supply  of  chickens,  fresh  bread,  fruits,  and  other 
eatables  likely  to  be  acceptable  to  men  who  had  been  so 
long  at  sea ;  and  these  were  presented  to  the  Admiral  by  the 
Portuguese  messengers  with  the  governor's  respectful  compli 
ments.  His  Excellency  would  have  called  in  person  upon 
his  distinguished  visitor,  they  assured  the  Admiral,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  late  hour  of  the  latter's  arrival.  In  the 
early  morning,  however,  he  would  present  his  respects  and 
bring  with  him  the  three  Spaniards  whom  he  had  detained 
on  shore.  The  governor  had  only  taken  the  liberty  to  invite 
these  men,  the  messengers  explained,  on  account  of  the 
passing  delight  he  anticipated  in  listening  to  the  recital 
of  their  astonishing  adventures.  Meantime  his  Excellency 
begged  the  Senor  Colon  to  accept  these  poor  refreshments 
as  an  addition  to  his  evening  meal,  and  on  the  morrow 
whatever  the  island  afforded  should  be  placed  at  his  dis 
position.  The  Admiral  expressed  his  appreciation  of  the 
governor's  courtesy,  and  showed  the  Portuguese  every  atten 
tion  in  his  power,  answering  freely  their  inquiries,  and 
exhibiting  to  their  admiring  vision  his  Indian  interpreters 
and  some  of  the  curious  articles  he  had  brought  from  the 


"NO   TEMPESTS  IN  THE  INDIES."  289 

lands  beyond  the  sea.  The  hours  passed  so  rapidly  in  this 
agreeable  intercourse,  that  when  the  messengers  talked  of 
returning  on  shore  it  was  so  late  that  the  Admiral  would  not 
permit  their  attempting  it,  but  gave  orders  that  they  should 
be  lodged  as  comfortably  as  possible  on  board  the  ship. 

In  all  this  exchange  of  civilities  and  compliment  there 
was  something  which  caused  the  Admiral  an  undefinable 
uneasiness.  Delighted  as  he  was  to  find  himself  once  more 
among  the  subjects  of  a  friendly  Christian  power,  there 
was  a  certain  hollowness,  a  want  of  hearty  cordiality,  in 
this  welcome,  which  made  an  unfavorable  impression  on 
his  mind.  He  had  no  such  vivid  recollection  of  Senor  Juan 
de  Castaneda  as  that  worthy  professed  to  have  of  him,  and 
he  was  none  too  well  pleased  with  the  detention  of  three  of 
his  crew,  on  never  mind  how  plausible  a  pretext.  He  had 
lived  too  long  among  the  Portuguese  not  to  know  exactly 
what  value  to  attach  to  their  ceremonious  protestations,  and 
there  was  a  false  ring  about  all  this  which  put  him  on  his 
guard.  It  was  not  the  greeting  to  which  he  had  looked  for 
ward  when  he  had  thought  of  once  more  landing  on  Chris 
tian  shores.  Still,  he  reflected,  Spain  and  Portugal  were 
certainly  at  peace,  and  therefore  he  had  no  legitimate 
ground  for  apprehension.  The  governor  might  have  really 
fancied  it  was  too  late  to  call  upon  a  strange  ship,  as  he 
had  alleged,  notwithstanding  the  unusual  nature  of  her  mis 
sion.  As  for  the  three  sailors,  —  well,  the  messengers  were 
a  fair  equivalent,  and  if  it  came  to  a  trial  of  wits  his  pilot 
would  be  able  to  give  no  information  as  to  the  whereabouts 
of  the  wonderful  lands  which  would  be  of  any  use  to  the 
Portuguese  in  case  they  should  want  to  go  there.  All 
that  knowledge  the  Admiral  had  locked  up  in  his  sea-chest 
or  in  his  breast ;  and  he  felt  confident  they  would  gain  no 
advantage  should  they  attempt  any  new  trick  this  present 
time. 

With  these  considerations  he  sought  his  rest,  worn  out 
with  the  cares  and  vigils  of  the  past  week,  and  devoutly 
grateful  that  at  last  he  was  within  a  measurable  distance  of 
his  sovereign's  Court. 

'9 


XXIII. 
%THE   GRACES   OF  CIVILIZATION. 

AS  the  "  Nina,"  on  the  previous  afternoon,  had  rounded 
the  point  of  land  which  formed  one  side  of  the  har 
bor,  the  Admiral  had  noticed  a  small  chapel,  which  stood  a 
little  distance  inland  on  the  side  toward  the  sea.  No  sooner 
had  the  sun  risen  on  the  morning  of  the  igth  than  he  re 
minded  his  men  of  their  vow  to  go  in  their  shirts  in  solemn 
procession  to  the  first  church  they  should  find,  and  there 
return  thanks  for  the  miraculous  escape  vouchsafed  them. 
Telling  off  the  whole  ship's  company  into  two  equal  parties, 
he  directed  that  the  first  should  visit  the  chapel  at  once  to 
perform  their  pious  duty.  He  himself  would  head  the  sec 
ond  detachment  of  thanksgivers ;  but  for  the  present  he 
would  remain  on  board  the  vessel  in  attendance  upon  the 
governor's  anticipated  visit.  In  answer  to  his  inquiries  the 
Portuguese  messengers  informed  him  that  there  was  no 
priest  attached  in  permanency  to  the  oratory ;  but  on  hear 
ing  of  the  vow,  they  volunteered  to  go  to  the  neighboring 
town  and  request  the  parish  curate  to  meet  the  Spanish  pil 
grims  and  say  the  Mass.  This  offer  the  Admiral  concluded 
to  accept,  his  suspicions  as  to  their  good  faith  having  been 
allayed  by  their  friendly  conduct  while  on  the  ship.  The 
first  party  of  the  crew  accordingly  entered  the  boat,  and 
were  soon  lost  to  view  around  the  point.  A  motley  sight 
they  must  have  presented  as,  barefooted  and  barelegged, 
clad  only  in  their  scanty  garments,  they  leaped  ashore  be 
fore  the  little  building  and  marched  in  line  to  fulfil  their 


THE   GRACES  OF  CIVILIZATION.  29 1 

singular  vow  !  Their  commander  meanwhile  remained  with 
the  other  half  of  his  men,  quietly  awaiting  the  promised  ap 
pearance  of  Senor  Juan  de  Castafieda.  Hour  after  hour 
passed  without  any  sign  either  of  his  Excellency  or  the  ab 
sent  sailors.  Toward  noon,  becoming  anxious,  and  a  little 
suspicious  as  well,  Colon  determined  to  weigh  anchor  and 
sail  around  the  point  to  see  what  was  detaining  his  people. 
He  could  not  imagine  that  any  harm  had  befallen  them  on 
land,  not  only  because  Castile  and  Portugal  were  friends  and 
allies,  but  because  of  the  elaborate  and  unsolicited  tenders 
of  assistance  which  he  had  received  on  the  previous  evening 
from  the  governor  of  the  island.  The  worst  he  feared  was 
that  the  ship's  boat  might  have  come  to  grief  on  some  of 
the  rocks  which  lined  the  rugged  coast ;  and  the  possibility 
of  such  a  disaster  sorely  troubled  him.  It  did  not  take 
long  to  double  the  point,  and  on  coming  within  sight  of  the 
chapel  a  scene  presented  itself  which  roused  the  Admiral's 
anger  to  the  highest  pitch.  Around  the  little  edifice  was 
gathered  a  great  crowd  of  the  Portuguese  residents  of  the 
island,  —  some  on  horseback,  but  most  on  foot,  and  a  large 
proportion  of  them  bearing  arms.  Not  a  sign  of  a  Spaniard 
was  to  be  seen,  although  their  boat  was  safely  drawn  up  on 
the  sands  in  a  little  cove  near  by.  To  the  Admiral's  mind 
it  was  clear  that  some  treachery  had  been  practised ;  but  in 
the  absence  of  any  means  of  reaching  the  shore  he  could 
only  strain  his  eyes  in  the  vain  hope  of  discovering  what 
was  passing  in  the  distance.  The  "  Nina  "  was  run  in  as 
close  to  the  beach  as  was  prudent,  the  better  to  observe 
what  was  going  on.  As  she  drew  nearer,  a  squadron  of  horse 
men  galloped  down  to  the  deserted  boat,  and  dismounting, 
shoved  her  off  and  rowed  out  to  the  "  Nina."  As  they  ap 
proached,  the  Admiral  noticed  that  they  were  all  well  armed, 
and  were  plainly  people  in  authority.  Coming  within  easy 
hail,  they  lay  on  their  oars  while  their  leader,  rising  from 
his  seat,  hailed  Colon,  who  was  standing  on  the  castle  con 
sumed  with  an  overpowering  wrath. 

"  Senor  Colon,"  said  the  Portuguese,  "  I  am  your  Wor 
ship's  very  humble  servant,  Juan  de  Castaneda,  the  un- 


WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

worthy  governor  of  this  island  of  Santa  Maria  for  his  Most 
Serene  Majesty  King  John  of  Portugal.  Have  I  your  Wor 
ship's  warranty  that  I  may  come  and  go  in  safety  upon  your 
ship?" 

"  Of  a  surety,  worthy  Senor  Governor,"  the  Admiral  an 
swered,  as  the  hope  dawned  that  the  governor  might  indeed 
come  on  board  and  put  himself  in  his  power.  "  The  Crowns 
of  Portugal  and  Castile  are  living  in  friendly  peace,  and 
ill  would  it  become  an  officer  of  their  Catholic  Majesties 
to  show  affront  to  the  captain  of  one  of  their  ally's 
possessions." 

Upon  this  some  conversation  ensued  in  the  boat,  which 
the  Spaniards  could  not  hear;  and  then  the  governor 
said,  — 

"  I  should  esteem  it  a  high  honor,  noble  Senor  Colon,  if 
your  Worship  would  accept  my  poor  hospitality,  and  ac 
company  me  to  my  modest  cabin  with  such  of  your  people 
as  you  may  designate.  For  that  purpose  have  I  come  out 
to  pay  my  compliments  to  your  Worship  with  these  few 
gentlemen  of  my  household,  and  we  shall  grieve  if  we  have 
made  a  bootless  journey.  It  was  our  expectation  to  have 
met  your  Worship  at  the  chapel,  or  otherwise  we  should 
have  visited  your  vessel,  as  was  our  first  intent." 

"  Nay,  Senor  Governor,"  Colon  replied,  as  he  grasped 
the  situation ;  "  it  were  not  Castilian  courtesy  to  allow  your 
Excellency  to  return  to  shore  without  tasting  the  quality  of 
our  wine.  I  pray  you  consider  that  my  poor  ship  and  all 
that  it  contains  is  at  the  bidding  of  your  Excellency  and 
your  gentlemen." 

Again  there  was  a  brief  consultation  in  the  boat ;  but  it 
was  apparent  that  neither  the  governor  nor  his  attendants 
cared  to  come  to  closer  quarters  with  the  Spaniards.  At 
length  he  called  out, — 

"  If  it  be  not  unseemly  interference,  Senor  Colon,  may  I 
ask  your  Worship's  purpose  in  putting  into  my  port  of  San 
Lorenzo  with  an  armed  vessel,  and  sending  a  large  body  of 
men  on  shore  without  so  much  as  asking  for  the  permission 
of  his  Majesty's  chief  officer?  " 


THE   GRACES  OF  CIVILIZATION'.  293 

At  this  the  Admiral's  temper  nearly  got  the  better  of  his 
discretion ;  but  with  a  violent  effort  he  controlled  it  yet  a 
little  longer,  and  responded,  with  an  assumption  of  defer 
ence  fully  equal  to  that  exhibited  by  the  governor,  — 

"  I  put  into  your  port  of  San  Lorenzo,  worshipful  Senor 
de  Castaneda,  to  escape  the  fate  of  my  other  vessel,  which 
was  lost  in  the  tempests  of  the  last  few  days.  For  many  a 
long  year  have  I  sailed  on  many  a  sea ;  but  it  has  been  re 
served  until  this  day  for  me  to  find  the  shelter  of  the  nearest 
port  refused  me  by  the  officers  of  a  friendly  king.  I  bear 
with  me  the  commission  of  their  Catholic  Majesties  of  Cas 
tile,  Senor  Governor ;  and  if  you  will  but  come  on  board  my 
unsightly  craft  and  examine  it,  you  shall  find  that  I  am  strictly 
enjoined  to  show  all  aid  and  assistance  to  the  subjects  of 
his  Majesty  of  Portugal,  wherever  found,  and  treat  them 
with  the  honor  I  should  myself  expect,  as  a  servant  of  my 
sovereigns,  to  receive  at  their  hands.  Your  Excellency 
must  be  well  aware  that  in  Castile  the  subjects  of  Portugal 
are  as  safe  as  in  their  own  Court  of  Lisbon.  It  would 
seem,  nevertheless,  from  to-day's  strange  happenings,  that 
the  subjects  of  Castile  enjoy  no  such  welcome  at  the  hands 
of  Portugal." 

Some  hesitation  was  evidently  felt  by  Castaneda  as  to  the 
course  he  was  pursuing,  for  he  betrayed  no  little  embarrass 
ment  when  next  he  spoke. 

"  And  may  I,  then,  worthy  Senor,  make  so  bold  as  to  de 
mand  upon  what  commission  it  is  that  your  Worship  thus 
freely  invades  the  dominions  of  a  friendly  prince?" 

"  That  may  you,  Senor  Governor,  and  right  glad  I  shall 
be  to  answer  your  demand,  though  its  phrasing  is  none  of 
the  kindliest,"  replied  the  Admiral,  speaking  a  few  words  to 
the  pilot  at  his  side,  who  quickly  disappeared.  "  And  may 
I  ask,  in  turn,  what  news  your  Excellency  can  give  me  of 
my  men  who  landed  this  morning  under  your  Excellency's 
protection,  and  have  been  restrained  by  your  people  from 
returning  to  their  ship?" 

To  this  the  governor  answered  nothing ;  for  at  that  mo 
ment  the  pilot  despatched  by  the  Admiral  returned  with  a 


294      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL   OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

case,  from  which  the  latter  drew  several  parchments.  Un 
folding  these  so  as  to  display  their  seals,  he  held  them  up 
toward  the  boat,  and  said  in  measured  tones,  — 

"  Your  Excellency  has  here,  Senor  Governor,  the  royal 
decrees  of  their  Catholic  Majesties  constituting  their  un 
worthy  servant  Admiral  of  Castile  and  Viceroy  of  the  Indies, 
which,  by  God's  blessing,  I  have  but  now  annexed  to  the 
Spanish  Crown.  In  their  Majesties'  names  I  demand  of 
your  Excellency  the  release  of  those  of  their  subjects  whom 
you  are  holding  prisoners  this  day.  As  their  Highnesses 
have  ordered  me  to  show  such  special  favor  to  the  ships  and 
subjects  of  Portugal,  so  your  Excellency's  own  sovereign 
shall  not  fail  to  be  grievously  angered  that  any  officer  of  his 
should  show  so  foul  an  affront  to  the  envoy  and  servants  of 
his  Majesty's  allies  of  Castile  as  your  Excellency  has  seen  fit 
to  offer  to  me  and  my  people." 

The  exhibition  of  the  documents  bestowing  so  high  a 
rank  upon  Colon  evidently  made  a  profound  impression  on 
both  the  governor  and  those  who  were  with  him ;  but  he 
answered  defiantly,  — 

"  In  this  island  of  Santa  Maria  we  know  nothing  of  the 
King  and  Queen  of  Spain,  worshipful  Senor  Admiral ; 
neither  have  we  any  fear  of  them  nor  concern  for  their 
commissions.  What  we  do  is  for  the  Crown  of  Portugal ; 
and  if  needs  be  we  shall  show  that  the  power  of  our 
sovereign  is  no  whit  less  than  that  of  their  Majesties  of 
Castile." 

This  open  threat  filled  up  the  measure,  and  away  to 
sea  blew  the  Admiral's  long-tried  patience.  Dropping  all 
further  effort  at  pretended  urbanity,  he  exclaimed  in 
desperation,  — 

"  Now  may  the  consequences  of  your  acts  lie  on  the  head 
that  hatched  them,  Sefior  de  Castaneda  !  Because  your  Ex 
cellency  has  foully  trapped  the  half  of  my  ship's  company, 
think  not  we  shall  all  fall  into  your  treacherous  hands. 
There  are  stout  men  enough  remaining  to  take  this  caravel 
to  Spain ;  and  with  God's  blessing  we  shall  be  in  Seville  be 
fore  many  days  are  past.  T  will  best  behoove  you,  there- 


THE   GRACES  OF  CIVILIZATION.  2$$ 

fore,  Senor  Governor,  to  put  your  house  in  order ;  for  his 
Majesty  of  Portugal  will  not  deny  the  demand  of  my  sov 
ereigns  of  Castile  that  he  who  has  done  this  traitor's  act  in 
time  of  peace  shall  meet  his  due  reward." 

There  was  more  probability  of  truth  in  this  declaration 
than  was  pleasant  for  the  governor  to  hear.  He  well  knew 
that  the  Portuguese  king  was  not  bent  upon  having  a  breach 
at  any  cost  with  the  Spanish  monarchs.  If  formal  complaint 
was  made,  he  was  quite  aware  that  King  John  would  readily 
disclaim  the  act  of  his  governor ;  and  in  that  event  he,  Juan 
de  Castaneda,  would  have  an  awkward  account  to  settle.  So 
he  answered  somewhat  more  pacifically  this  time,  — 

"  Rest  your  Excellency  assured,  Senor  Admiral,  that  I 
have  done  naught  without  the  express  orders  of  my  gracious 
king.  But  if  you  will  put  back  to  our  port  of  San  Lorenzo, 
I  will  gladly  consider  with  your  Excellency  what  may  best 
be  done  in  this  most  difficult  conjunction." 

Colon  saw  at  once  the  advantage  he  was  gaining.  Call 
ing  upon  those  around  him  to  bear  witness  that  the  gover 
nor  claimed  to  have  acted  and  spoken  under  direct  orders 
from  the  Crown  of  Portugal,  he  sent  this  parting  shot  at  the 
boat,  which  was  now  turning  about  prior  to  putting  back  to 
shore  :  — 

"  So  be  it,  then,  Senor  Governor,  although  the  responsi 
bility  is  none  of  mine,  nor  the  difficulty  of  my  making.  I 
would  but  have  your  Excellency  bear  in  mind  that  unless 
my  men  are  incontinently  released  I  pledge  myself  by  my 
word  and  faith,  as  an  Admiral  of  Castile,  that  I  shall  neither 
leave  this  ship  nor  set  my  foot  on  land  until  I  have  come 
back  to  this  port  with  force  sufficient  to  strip  this  island  of 
its  people  and  carry  them  all  to  Spain.  I  speak  not  hastily, 
Senor  de  Castaneda  :  mark  well  my  words  !  " 

The  "  Nina  "  was  thereupon  put  about  and  steered  back 
to  the  harbor.  The  Admiral  was  vastly  disturbed  over  the 
day's  occurrences.  Neither  the  governor  nor  any  of  the  isl 
anders  had  intimated  that  there  was  any  breach  of  the  peace 
between  Spain  and  Portugal,  and  yet  the  former's  action 
was  neither  more  nor  less  than  one  of  open  hostility. 


296      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

His  declaration  that  what  he  had  done  had  been  by  his 
sovereign's  orders,  pointed  to  an  intentional  and  premedi 
tated  provocation  against  Spain;  while  his  contemptuous 
reference  to  the  sovereigns  of  that  country  showed  that,  in 
the  first  flush  of  his  success,  he  had  counted  upon  the  sup 
port  of  his  own  government  in  the  high-handed  outrage  he 
had  practised.  As  Colon  reflected  over  what  had  passed, 
he  was  satisfied  with  his  own  course.  If  war  really  existed 
between  the  two  powers,  he  had  done  what  was  spirited  and 
right.  If  the  governor's  proceedings  were  only  the  excess 
of  a  mistaken  zeal,  the  consequences  would  fall  on  him  and 
not  on  the  Admiral.  "  I  could  not  suffer  his  insolence  to 
pass  without  replying  as  regard  for  propriety  demanded," 
the  latter  writes  in  summing  up  the  incident.  As  for  his 
attempt  to  capture  the  governor  himself  under  promise  of 
safe-conduct,  he  found  a  sufficient  salve  for  conscience  by 
arguing  that  the  Portuguese  had  broken  faith  with  him,  and 
no  pledge  was  binding  as  toward  a  traitor.  The  recollec 
tion  of  his  narrow  escape  from  the  Portuguese  fleet  on  leav 
ing  the  Canaries  a  year  before  was  present  in  his  mind,  and 
he  only  regretted  that  he  had  allowed  himself,  even  for  a 
single  night,  to  put  faith  in  the  protestations  of  any  sub 
ject  of  that  jealous  nation.  He  was  tempted  to  carry  out 
his  threat  in  good  earnest,  and  set  sail  without  delay  for 
Spain,  to  lay  the  matter  before  his  king  and  queen  and  ask 
for  the  redress  which  he  knew  would  instantly  be  granted ; 
but  the  weather  was  unsettled  and  the  winds  unfavorable  ta 
the  course  he  had  to  sail,  so  that  he  scarcely  ventured  to 
run  the  risk  in  the  crippled  condition  of  his  crew.  The 
party  which  had  made  the  first  pilgrimage  and  fallen  into 
the  islanders'  hands  contained  nearly  all  his  pilots  and  sea 
men.  Of  really  able  mariners  he  had  not  more  than  four 
left  on  board ;  so  there  seemed  to  be  no  remedy  but  to  re 
main  in  the  harbor  for  a  few  days  and  see  what  diplomacy 
could  do  to  secure  the  release  of  his  people. 

San  Lorenzo  was  a  poor  port  to  lie  in,  especially  in  such 
a  stormy  season  as  then  prevailed.  On  the  following  day, 
while  Colon  was  awaiting  with  ill-disguised  impatience  the 


THE   GRACES  OF  CIVILIZATION.  297 

promised  conference  with  Juan  de  Castaneda,  the  "  Nina's  " 
cables  parted  under  the  constant  strain  to  which  they  were 
subjected,  and  she  had  to  seek  a  safer  anchorage.  The 
island  of  Santa  Maria  offered  no  other  harbor ;  so  there  was 
nothing  for  the  Admiral  to  do  but  to  stand  for  San  Miguel, 
another  of  the  Azores,  which  is  distant  some  seventy  miles  to 
the  north  of  the  first  named.  The  little  ship  was  doomed  to 
suffer  many  a  buffet,  however,  before  she  reached  a  haven 
of  peace.  No  sooner  had  she  left  the  shelter  of  Santa  Maria 
than  a  storm  arose  which  drove  her  so  far  out  of  her  course 
that  two  days  and  a  night  passed  without  a  sight  of  land. 
The  danger  to  which  she  was  constantly  exposed  throughout 
this  gale  was  in  no  degree  less  than  that  which  had  con 
fronted  her  before ;  and  short-handed  as  he  was,  the  Admiral 
looked  for  disaster  to  overwhelm  them  at  any  hour.  "  God 
showed  us  mercy,"  he  writes,  "  in  making  the  seas  come 
from  one  direction  only ;  for  if  they  had  crossed  one  an 
other  as  they  did  in  the  other  tempests,  much  greater  evil 
must  surely  have  befallen  us."  At  the  end  of  the  second 
day,  as  the  heavy  weather  still  continued  and  no  sign  of  San 
Miguel  was  visible,  Colon  resolved  to  return  to  the  refuge  of 
San  Lorenzo,  which,  bad  as  it  was,  was  better  than  beating 
about  in  a  stormy  sea  with  a  crew  of  four  available  men  to 
handle  the  ship.  In  these  hours  of  trial  his  thoughts  re 
verted  persistently  to  the  smooth  seas  and  balmy  breezes  of 
those  fair  regions  beyond  the  Ocean  Sea.  He  enters  in 
his  diary :  — 

"  Not  for  one  single  hour  did  I  find  the  sea  in  the  Indies  so 
stormy  that  it  was  not  easy  to  navigate  ;  but  here  we  have  been 
constantly  exposed  to  furious  tempests,  and  the  same  fate  befell 
us  on  our  outward  voyage  when  we  were  sailing  to  the  Canary 
Islands.  Well  did  the  sacred  writers  and  the  wise  philosophers 
of  old  say  that  the  earthly  Paradise  lies  in  the  extreme  limits  of 
the  Orient;  for  the  countries  which  I  have  discovered  are  tem 
perate  beyond  description,  and  they  must  verily  constitute  the 
eastern  end  of  Asia." 

On  the  afternoon  of  Thursday,  the  2ist  of  February,  the 
"  Nina  "  came  to  anchor  again  in  the  port  of  San  Lorenzo. 


298       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

Her  unexpected  departure  the  day  before  had  clearly 
alarmed  the  bellicose  Senor  de  Castaneda,  for  as  soon  as 
she  approached  the  shore  a  man  appeared  signalling  her  from 
the  water's  edge,  and  calling  out  that  she  should  remain 
where  she  was,  as  the  governor  desired  to  communicate  with 
the  Admiral.  Shortly  thereafter  the  captured  boat  hove  in 
sight,  rowed  by  five  of  the  Spanish  sailors  and  containing 
two  Portuguese  priests  and  a  notary,  —  evidently  a  pacific 
embassy.  A  pledge  of  security  being  asked  and  given,  they 
came  on  board  the  caravel  and  delivered  their  message. 
His  Excellency  the  governor,  they  assured  their  hearer,  had 
no  desire  to  embarrass  in  any  way  the  noble  Admiral ;  he  had 
but  acted  in  accordance  with  his  instructions,  which  were  to 
call  to  account  any  vessel  putting  into  a  port  of  his  jurisdic 
tion  without  the  special  permission  of  the  Portuguese  king. 
If  the  noble  Admiral  would  satisfy  his  Excellency  that  he 
had  come  with  no  hostile  intent,  and  had  not  invaded  any 
of  the  territories  of  Portugal  in  the  voyage  from  which  he 
was  returning,  his  Excellency  would  release  the  men  and 
render  the  noble  Admiral  any  service  in  his  power.  It  was 
very  difficult  for  Colon  to  listen  to  this  rigmarole  with 
patience.  He  saw  that  it  was  a  mere  pretext  on  the 
governor's  part  to  escape  from  his  dilemma;  that  having 
failed  to  secure  the  commander  himself,  he  was  now  anxious 
to  retire  as  gracefully  as  possible  from  an  untenable  position, 
and  restore  the  men  who  were  of  no  use  to  him ;  and  that 
he  hoped  thereby,  since  the  game  was  lost,  to  escape  any 
serious  consequences  from  his  act  of  treachery.  Colon 
had  no  idea  of  yielding  too  readily  to  the  proposition  of 
the  governor.  He  declared  that  he  must  reflect  upon  the 
matter ;  and  as  it  was  now  dark  and  the  weather  blustering, 
he  induced  the  emissaries  to  remain  on  the  ship  overnight. 

In  the  morning  he  inquired  of  them  what  was  the  nature 
of  the  assurances  they  demanded  as  to  his  intentions  and 
authority.  They  replied  that  if  he  would  show  them  that 
in  reality  he  was  sailing  under  the  orders  of  the  Spanish 
Crown  they  would  be  content.  The  impudence  of  this  pro 
posal  nearly  upset  again  the  Admiral's  self-control.  That 


THE   GRACES  OF  CIVILIZATION.  299 

he,  an  officer  of  the  highest  rank  in  the  navy  of  Castile,  a 
Viceroy  of  the  proudest  monarchs  in  Christendom,  the  dis 
coverer  of  a  new  path  to  the  Antipodes,  should  be  stopped 
by  a  petty  official  of  a  rival  nation  as  he  was  bearing  to  his 
own  sovereigns  the  tidings  of  his  prodigious  success,  and 
called  upon  to  give  an  account  of  his  actions  to  an  unknown 
scrivener  and  two  nameless  priests,  —  the  very  thought  was 
gall  and  wormwood  to  the  Admiral's  proud  mind  !  Con 
scious  of  his  own  mighty  deeds,  and  eager  to  communicate 
them  to  his  royal  patrons,  the  interference  of  this  petty  Por 
tuguese  tyrant  was  as  humiliating  as  it  was  insolent.  His 
instant  impulse  was  to  send  the  three  messengers  back  to 
Castaneda  with  a  biting  answer  of  scorn  and  defiance  ;  but 
a  moment's  reflection  restored  his  self-command.  If  he 
secured  his  men,  be  the  cost  to  his  pride  what  it  might, 
he  could  sail  at  once  for  Spain,  and,  once  before  his  haughty 
masters,  could  obtain  all  the  redress  and  satisfaction  he  so 
righteously  desired  for  the  affronts  now  offered  to  their 
Standard  and  representative.  Curbing  his  wrath  with  a 
mighty  effort,  he  accordingly  consented  to  produce  his  com 
missions.  When  the  priests  and  the  notary  read  the  ample 
powers  vested  in  the  man  who  stood  now  so  quietly  before 
them,  and  saw  the  signatures  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  at 
tached  to  the  summons  addressed  to  the  princes  at  peace 
with  Castile  to  grant  all  friendly  aid  and  succor  to  their  Ad 
miral  and  Viceroy,  they  realized  the  mistake  the  worthy 
governor  had  made.  Profuse  in  their  expressions  of  respect 
and  recognition,  they  were  now  all  anxiety  to  return  with 
their  report ;  but  their  entertainer  would  not  allow  them  to 
go  empty-handed.  Choosing  from  his  stores  a  number  of 
curiosities  and  strange  productions  from  the  distant  Indies, 
he  pressed  them  upon  his  embarrassed  visitors,  who,  when 
they  finally  took  their  leave,  were  overwhelmed  with  the 
graciousness  and  magnanimity  of  him  whom  they  had  so 
lately  scorned  and  outraged.  Within  the  hour  the  boat 
returned  to  the  "  Nina,"  bringing  all  the  Spaniards  who  had 
been  detained.  Without  further  delay  the  Admiral  hoisted 
sail  and  left  San  Lorenzo,  to  seek  some  other  place  along 


300      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

the  coast  where  he  could  take  on  board  a  supply  of  wood 
and  water  before  laying  his  course  for  Spain. 

The  restored  members  of  the  crew,  in  giving  him  an  ac 
count  of  their  experiences  while  in  the  hands  of  the  Portu 
guese,  declared  that  the  whole  affair,  from  the  moment  the 
"  Nina"  was  first  hailed  on  the  evening  of  the  iSth,  was  a 
plot  to  secure  the  person  of  the  Admiral.  When  the  land 
ing  party  of  pilgrims  had  settled  down  to  their  devotions 
inside  the  chapel,  the  sacred  edifice  was  surrounded  by  the 
whole  male  population  of  the  island,  under  the  governor's 
immediate  command,  and  every  one  of  the  praying  Spaniards 
was  taken  prisoner.  As  soon  as  Castaiieda  found  that  the 
Admiral  was  not  in  the  party  captured,  he  rode  off  in  a  tow 
ering  rage  to  the  boat  on  the  beach,  determined  to  go  off  to 
the  caravel  and  seize  Colon,  either  by  stratagem  or  force. 
Foiled  in  this  second  attempt,  the  governor  seems  to  have 
devoted  his  energies  to  extricating  himself  from  the  pre 
dicament  into  which  his  hot  head  had  led  him,  and  the 
men  had  no  other  ill-treatment  to  complain  of.  They  had 
learned  while  in  durance  that  orders  had  been  sent  out 
some  months  before  by  the  King  of  Portugal  to  the  author 
ities  of  all  his  islands  and  colonies  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
and  along  the  Guinea  coast,  directing  them  to  seize  the 
Spanish  vessels  wherever  they  should  appear,  and  take  the  Ad 
miral  prisoner.  That  the  governor  of  Santa  Maria  had  failed 
in  his  amiable  design  was  due  only  to  the  fact  that  Colon 
had  decided  to  accompany  the  second  party  of  pilgrims  to 
the  chapel.  The  messengers  who  had  taken  the  news  of 
the  intended  pilgrimage  to  Castaiieda  when  they  had  offered 
to  get  the  priest,  had  not  been  aware  of  this  arrangement, 
and  so  a  very  prettily  laid  scheme  had  ended  only  in  chagrin. 
What  wonder  that  the  Admiral,  as  he  contrasted  the  recep 
tion  of  the  savage  king  of  Marien  with  that  extended  by  the 
civilized  governor  of  Santa  Maria,  should  have  thought  that 
not  the  elements  alone  were  better  regulated  in  the  Indies  ! 
As  one  reads  Colon's  account  of  this  first  welcome  offered 
by  the  people  of  the  Old  World  to  the  finder  of  the  New, 
one  is  tempted  to  regret  that  he  did  not  leave  his  band  of 


THE   GRACES  OF  CIVILIZATION.  301 

pilgrims  in  Santa  Maria  and  adjust  the  score  in  the  manner 
he  threatened. 

It  was  not  until  early  evening  on  the  23d  that  the  Admiral 
found  a  place  where  he  could  come  to  anchor  and  procure 
the  supplies  he  wanted,  and  even  then  the  surf  was  running 
so  high  that  he  would  not  send  the  boat  ashore.  Sunday, 
the  24th,  broke  with  a  strong  southwest  breeze  which  threat 
ened  to  drag  the  vessel  and  cast  her  on  the  rocks  if  she  were 
kept  any  longer  where  she  was.  This  wind,  too,  was  fair  for 
the  Spanish  coast,  and  the  prompt  completion  of  his  voyage 
suited  better  the  Admiral's  present  humor  than  losing  another 
day  in  waiting  to  take  in  water.  An  inspection  of  the  stock 
on  hand  showed  that  with  proper  husbanding  it  would  last 
the  remainder  of  the  journey,  and  he  therefore  ordered  the 
anchor  weighed  and  the  ship's  head  laid  for  Home.  Great 
was  the  rejoicing  among  officers  and  men  when  they  thought 
that  the  next  port  they  should  make  would  be  within  the 
borders  of  Castile.  Had  they  known  what  still  lay  before 
them,  they  would  have  preferred  remaining  in  Santa  Maria, 
even  in  their  shirts. 


xxrv. 

KING  AND   COMMONS. 

R  three  days  the  weather  held  good,  and  the  "Nina  " 
made  fair  progress  to  the  east  and  northeast ;  but  on 
Tuesday  night  the  wind  changed  to  a  gale,  and  she  was  driven 
off  her  course  and  wandered  at  the  mercy  of  the  storm  for 
forty-eight  hours.  This  constant  succession  of  tempests  "  at 
the  very  door  of  home,"  as  Colon  puts  it,  seemed  to  him  to 
be  meant  as  a  judgment  upon  the  pride  and  satisfaction  with 
which  he  was  looking  forward  to  the  reception  with  which 
his  great  news  would  be  greeted  when  he  reached  Spain. 
After  all,  what  was  he  but  an  instrument  of  the  Almighty  in 
this  stupendous  event?  To  God  was  due  the  glory,  and  to 
Him  alone ;  and  the  Admiral  piously  reproaches  himself  for 
having  appropriated  too  large  a  share  of  the  credit  of  the 
enterprise. 

On  Friday  the  weather  changed  for  the  better,  and  on 
this  and  the  next  day  the  ship  was  able  to  make  good  head 
way.  On  Sunday,  the  3d  of  March,  another  storm  set  in 
which  came  nearer  to  bringing  the  voyage  to  a  fatal  ter 
mination  than  any  of  its  predecessors,  pitiless  as  they  had 
been.  The  Admiral  believed  himself  to  be  not  far  from 
Cape  St.  Vincent,  and  was  steering  east  when  the  storm  fell 
upon  him.  Without  a  moment's  warning  a  cyclone  struck 
the  little  ship ;  and  before  an  order  could  be  shouted  or  a 
hand  stretched  out  to  seize  a  rope,  the  sails  were  split  into  a 
thousand  shreds,  and  the  "  Nina  "  was  plunging  blindly  along 
under  bare  poles.  The  sea,  already  heavy  from  the  previ 
ous  gales,  now  mounted  in  heaping  masses  about  the  terri 
fied  crew,  crashing  down  upon  the  devoted  vessel  from 


KING  AND  COMMONS.  303 

every  direction  and  threatening  her  with  instant  annihila 
tion.  Again  the  despairing  company  appealed  to  Heaven 
for  the  aid  they  could  no  longer  render  themselves,  and, 
casting  lots,  vowed  that  whoever  should  draw  out  the  cross- 
marked  bean  should  make  a  humble  pilgrimage  to  the  Vir 
gin  of  the  Belt  in  Huelva,  near  their  native  port  of  Palos, 
and  in  his  shirt  give  thanks  for  the  infinite  mercy  shown  in 
saving  them  from  this  imminent  destruction.  Strange  to  say, 
for  the  third  time  the  Admiral  was  indicated  by  chance  to 
do  this  act  of  penance ;  and  in  this  fact  he  discerned  the 
Divine  intention  of  rebuking  him  publicly  for  his  vainglory. 
Not  content  with  this  vicarious  deed  of  penance  and  con 
trition,  the  whole  crew  now  joined  in  vowing  that  the  first 
Sunday  they  should  spend  on  land  they  would  touch  no 
other  food  than  bread  and  water,  —  not  a  small  matter  for 
men  to  promise  who  had  been  living  on  little  else  for  six 
weeks  and  enduring  the  while  so  many  other  hardships. 

The  storm  continued  without  a  break  all  that  day  and 
night,  accompanied  by  frequent  violent  rains  and  a  cease 
less  play  of  lightning.  The  fury  of  the  seas  —  not  regi 
mented  billows,  but  a  frantic  confusion  of  gigantic  waves, 
—  cast  the  tiny  caravel  from  the  ragged  summit  of  one 
watery  mountain  into  the  seething  hollow  of  the  next ;  and 
not  for  a  single  moment  did  the  worn-out  mariners  draw  a 
breath  in  peace.  "  It  pleased  Our  Lord  to  sustain  us," 
Colon  records,  "  although  through  infinite  peril  and  distress  ; 
and  when  daylight  came  He  showed  us  land."  Two  sailors 
caught  sight  of  a  lofty  rock  in  the  dismal  light  of  the  early 
morning ;  but  it  was  only  an  additional  source  of  danger. 
The  coast  proved  to  be  iron-bound,  and  as  it  lay  on  their 
lee  they  were  lost  beyond  the  hope  of  salvation  unless  they 
could  wear  their  ship  farther  out  to  sea.  To  make  any 
sail  at  all  was  to  expose  them  to  scarcely  less  danger  of 
foundering;  but  there  was  at  least  a  fighting  chance  for 
their  lives,  and  they  took  it.  As  the  light  grew  stronger, 
the  Admiral  recognized  that  he  was  off  the  mouth  of  the 
Tagus,  and  that  the  headland  in  sight  was  the  far-famed 
Rock  of  Cintra.  The  knowledge  brought  him  little  con- 


304   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

solation ;  for  to  enter  the  Tagus  was  to  put  himself  irrevo 
cably  in  the  power  of  Portugal.  What  choice  had  he, 
however  ?  Better  deliver  himself  up  as  a  prisoner  and  trust 
to  the  Almighty  and  their  Majesties  of  Castile  to  rescue 
him,  than  to  expose  his  whole  ship's  company  to  almost  cer 
tain  death  !  Putting  the  "  Nina's  "  head  about,  he  slowly 
and  laboriously  beat  toward  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and 
after  hours  of  torturing  suspense  made  the  entrance  and 
came  to  anchor  off  the  little  village  of  Cascaes,  where  the 
water  was  fairly  quiet.  Many  a  time  in  previous  years  had 
he  sailed  gladly  into  the  Tagus,  homeward  bound  from  dis 
tant  climes ;  but  on  this  one  occasion,  when  he  most  needed 
her  shelter  and  yet  was  loath  to  avail  of  it,  did  she  play  the 
churl  and  strive  to  bar  the  way  against  him.  The  residents 
of  the  fishing  hamlet  put  out  at  once  to  the  caravel  to  see 
what  the  new  arrival  was,  and  were  loud  in  their  expressions 
of  wonder  that  the  ship  had  been  able  to  live  in  such  a  gale. 
All  morning  long,  they  said,  they  had  watched  the  "  Nina  " 
as  she  fought  her  desperate  battle,  and  over  and  over  again 
had  given  her  up  for  lost,  although  they  never  ceased  their 
prayers  that  she  might  reach  their  harbor  in  safety.  When 
they  heard  of  the  voyage  she  had  made,  they  could  not  credit 
their  ears.  So  fearful  a  winter  had  never  been  known  along 
the  Atlantic  coast  within  the  memory  of  the  oldest  sailor. 
They  reported  that  on  the  Flemish  shores  alone  five-and- 
twenty  vessels  had  been  lost,  and  there  were  others  in  the 
Tagus,  bound  for  Flanders,  which  had  been  waiting  for  four 
months  for  a  chance  to  put  to  sea  with  reasonable  safety. 

Later  in  the  day,  when  the  tide  served,  the  Admiral  left 
his  anchorage  at  Cascaes,  and  continued  up  the  river  to 
Rastelo,  just  below  Lisbon,  where  incoming  ships  had  to  lie 
until  permitted  to  go  on  to  the  city.  He  was  determined 
to  put  a  bold  face  on  his  arrival,  since  he  was  completely  at 
the  mercy  of  the  Portuguese.  Not  only  might  they  seize 
him  on  the  pretext  that  he  had  been  filibustering  in  their 
newly  acquired  African  dependencies,  as  Castaneda  had  at 
tempted  ;  but  there  were  old  scores  against  him,  dating  ten 
years  back  to  the  days  when  he  plead  his  cause  at  King 


KING   AND   COMMONS.  305 

John's  Court,  and  kept  the  wolf  from  the  door  by  making 
maps  and  sailing  ships.  He  would  act  as  became  a  man  of 
courage  and  an  officer  of  the  Spanish  Crown,  at  all  events ; 
and  so  he  at  once  addressed  a  missive  to  the  king,  announc 
ing  his  presence  in  the  Tagus,  and  asking  permission  to  take 
his  vessel  up  to  Lisbon.  He  based  his  request  upon  the 
fact  that  there  was  no  sufficient  protection  at  the  station 
where  he  was,  and  as  the  report  had  gone  abroad  that  his 
ship  contained  great  treasures,  he  was  exposed  to  attack 
from  the  lawless  inhabitants  of  the  river-bank.  In  order  to 
remove  all  idea  from  the  king's  mind  that  the  Spanish  ves 
sels  had  been  trespassing  in  the  countries  claimed  by  Por 
tugal,  Colon  added  that  he  had  not  been  near  the  Guinea 
coast,  but  had  come  direct  from  the  Indies,  which  he  had 
reached  by  crossing  the  Western  Ocean.  He  put  himself 
under  the  protection  of  his  Majesty  in  obedience  to  the  or 
ders  of  his  own  sovereigns,  who  had  directed  him  to  ask 
whatever  aid  he  might  require  from  their  ally  of  Portugal, 
and  to  pay  for  it  at  its  full  value.  This  letter  he  despatched 
to  the  king,  who  was  at  the  Valle  do  Paraiso,  some  nine 
leagues  from  Lisbon.  It  shows  the  shrewdness  of  the  wri 
ter's  mind,  notwithstanding  the  open  frankness  which  was 
one  of  his  chief  characteristics.  He  had  every  reason  to 
suppose  that  King  John  was  disposed  to  make  him  prisoner, 
either  from  envy  of  Spain  or  from  a  grudge  against  the  Ad 
miral  himself  for  having  left  his  Majesty's  service  and  gone 
to  seek  his  fortunes  in  Castile.  By  boldly  appealing  to  the 
king  for  assistance  and  protection  in  the  name  of  the  Span 
ish  Crown,  he  threw  the  Portuguese  monarch  into  the 
unpleasant  dilemma  of  affronting  his  allies  by  an  act  of  un 
disguised  hostility,  or  of  smothering  his  resentment  and  al 
lowing  the  Spanish  Admiral  to  refit  his  vessel  at  leisure  and 
depart  in  peace.  The  event  proved  the  wisdom  of  Colon's 
move.  King  John  was  anything  but  prepared  to  seize  the 
Viceroy  of  his  neighboring  allies  by  an  act  of  open  violence, 
and  had  no  remedy  but  to  put  as  good  a  face  as  possible 
upon  his  envious  disappointment,  and  welcome  the  Admiral 
as  the  representative  of  the  Spanish  monarchs. 


306      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

One  more  trial,  and  that  a  bitter  one,  was  in  store  for 
Colon  before  he  tasted  that  rare  wine  of  triumph  of  which 
he  was  to  drink  so  deep.  When  he  had  anchored  at 
Rastelo  he  had  noticed  with  admiration  a  huge  man-of-war 
lying  not  far  off,  which  he  knew,  from  her  size  and  appoint 
ments,  was  the  flagship  of  the  Portuguese  navy.  "  A  better 
ship,  or  one  more  nobly  provided  with  artillery  and  all 
manner  of  arms,  I  never  have  seen,"  he  writes,  in  a  gen 
uine  seaman's  delight  at  so  splendid  a  craft.  The  morning 
after  his  arrival,  while  waiting  for  an  answer  to  his  letter  to 
the  king,  he  saw  an  armed  boat  put  off  from  the  great  ship 
and  make  direct  for  the  caravel.  On  coming  alongside  the 
"  Nina,"  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  boat  gave  a  hail  and 
asked  for  her  commander.  The  Admiral  at  once  presented 
himself  and  inquired  what  was  wanted  of  him.  Rising  in 
his  boat,  the  Portuguese  officer  replied,  with  little  attempt 
to  choose  his  words,  — 

"  His  Excellency  Dom  Alvaro  Dama,  captain  of  his  Maj 
esty's  flagship  yonder,  desires  to  know  your  business  in  the 
Tagus,  good  Senor,  and  has  sent  me  to  bring  your  Worship 
aboard  his  vessel.  For  myself,  I  am  your  Worship's  humble 
servitor,  Bartolom£  Diaz,  a  poor  lieutenant  of  his  Majesty 
King  John,  whom  may  God  preserve  ! " 

"  Amen,  Dom  Bartolom£  !  "  said  the  Admiral,  cut  to  the 
quick  by  the  cool  impertinence  of  the  summons,  and  reflect 
ing  bitterly  on  the  vast  disparity  between  his  weather-beaten 
cockleshell  and  the  magnificent  war-ship  before  his  eyes. 
"Your  vessel  is  a  noble  one  and  worthily  commanded. 
But  I  am  Admiral  of  the  Ocean  Sea,  a  humble  servant  of 
their  Catholic  Majesties  of  Spain,  and  I  have  never  heard 
that  it  was  the  usance  of  a  Spanish  Admiral  to  give  account 
of  his  actions  to  every  Portuguese  captain  he  chanced 
to  meet.  If  your  worthy  commander  wants  me  he  can 
take  me  without  a  doubt,  for  he  has  ten  times  my  power ; 
but  save  by  force  of  stronger  arms,  I  stir  not  from  this  ship. 
Take  that  for  my  reply  to  Dom  Alvaro  Dama,  good  Senor 
Lieutenant,  and  God  speed  you  as  you  go  !  " 

The  easy-going  lieutenant  saw  that  he  had  a  harder  task 


KING  AND   COMMONS.  307 

on  his  hands  than  he  had  thought,  or  his  captain  either,  and 
changed  his  tone  at  hearing  the  high  rank  claimed  by  the 
tall  stranger  who  had  answered  him  so  harshly, 

"  I  crave  your  Excellency's  pardon,  Senor  Admiral,  for  an 
offence  that  was  not  intended.  No  doubt  the  requirements 
of  my  noble  captain  will  be  fulfilled  if  your  Excellency  but 
sends  with  me  the  master  of  your  vessel,  or  any  one  to  an 
swer  for  your  Excellency." 

But  the  Admiral's  wrath  was  at  a  white  heat.  All  the 
treachery  and  insults  he  had  received  from  the  Portuguese, 
from  the  time  when,  years  before,  they  had  tried  to  steal 
the  glory  of  his  enterprise,  up  to  this  present  moment  when 
a  supercilious  subordinate  was  bandying  words  with  the 
bearer  of  a  new  world,  came  flooding  into  his  mind  and 
broke  down  the  last  barriers  of  his  self-control. 

"  I  doubt  not  that  such  a  token  of  submission  would  be 
welcome  to  your  chief,  Senor,"  he  responded,  with  a  ring  of 
irony  in  his  voice ;  "  but  neither  master  of  the  ship  nor 
sailor  of  the  crew  shall  go  on  board  your  vessel  except  by 
stress  of  better  fighting.  As  willingly  should  I  go  myself  as 
let  any  one  go  for  me,  and  't  is  easier  for  me  to  die  fighting, 
as  is  the  custom  of  the  Admirals  of  Castile,  than  live  at  the 
behest  of  every  underling  of  Portugal." 

Lieutenant  Bartolom6  began  to  see  that  prudence  would 
be  golden,  and  strove  to  allay  the  storm  his  careless  inso 
lence  had  raised. 

"  I  protest,  most  noble  Admiral,"  he  said  with  great  def 
erence,  "  that  neither  my  captain  nor  myself,  your  Excel 
lency's  servant,  has  any  wish  to  attack  the  dignity  of  Spain 
or  assail  your  Excellency's  authority.  If  your  Excellency 
will  but  deign  to  let  me  see  your  powers,  I  shall  be  able  to 
certify  to  Dom  Alvaro  that  I  have  performed  my  duty,  and 
report  your  Excellency's  exalted  rank  to  my  commander." 

The  Admiral  was  tempted  to  look  upon  this  as  a  fresh 
piece  of  impertinence;  but  the  thought  of  the  imminent 
necessity  of  avoiding  any  overt  quarrel  with  the  Portuguese 
authorities  led  him  to  yield  a  little  of  his  dignity,  and  he 
sent  for  his  commission. 


WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

"  So  be  it  then,  Senor  Lieutenant,"  he  answered  ;  "  a  drop 
more  in  the  ocean  will  not  cause  it  to  overflow." 

When  the  parchments  were  brought,  he  exhibited  them  to 
the  officer,  who  saluted  the  signatures  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella  and  returned  at  once  on  board  the  flagship.  Colon 
remained  in  an  anxious  frame  of  mind,  determined  to  resist 
to  the  uttermost  any  attempt  at  violence,  but  distressed  at  the 
prospect  of  meeting  with  disaster  just  as  he  had  escaped 
such  mighty  dangers  and  was  so  near  the  end  of  his  weary 
journey.  But  the  report  made  by  Dom  Bartolome  Diaz  on 
reaching  the  flagship  had  opened  many  eyes.  In  a  short  time 
the  Admiral  saw  the  great  barge  of  that  vessel  put  off  from 
her  side  and  head  for  the  "  Nifia  "  with  a  company  who  were 
plainly  bent  on  no  deeds  of  arms.  Seated  in  the  stern  was 
a  gayly  dressed  party  of  officers,  and  over  the  water,  in  ad 
vance  of  the  approaching  barge,  floated  the  martial  music 
of  cymbals,  drum,  and  pipe.  Seemingly  a  visit  of  high  cere 
mony  was  intended,  and  all  on  board  the  Spanish  caravel 
awaited  with  eager  interest  the  explanation  of  so  stately  a 
proceeding.  When  the  boat  drew  near  the  "  Nina,"  it 
proved  to  contain  Dom  Alvaro  Dama  and  his  staff,  who 
saluted  the  Spaniards  and  asked  leave  to  present  their  com 
pliments  to  the  Admiral.  Like  a  brave  and  generous  sailor, 
the  Portuguese  captain  had  resolved  frankly  to  make  amends 
for  the  error  of  the  morning  as  quickly  as  he  heard  who  the 
new  arrival  was,  and  had  come  with  the  pomp  befitting 
the  rank  of  the  caravel's  commander.  Colon  received  his 
visitors  at  the  ship's  side  with  all  the  honors,  and  conducted 
them  to  his  own  cabin.  There  Dom  Alvaro  tendered  his  apol 
ogies  for  the  recent  occurrence,  excusing  himself  on  the 
ground  that  he  was  unaware  of  the  distinguished  rank  of  his 
host,  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  supply  whatever  the  Ad 
miral  might  require.  The  latter  accepted  willingly  the  cap 
tain's  explanations,  and  promised  to  avail  himself  of  his 
tenders  of  service  should  occasion  arise.  He  then  enter 
tained  his  guests  with  an  account  of  the  voyage  to  the  In 
dies,  exhibiting  his  savages  and  other  curiosities  for  their 
inspection.  After  an  agreeable  conversation,  the  Portuguese 


KING  AND   COMMONS.  309 

took  their  leave,  charmed  with  their  reception,  and  having 
equally  delighted  the  Admiral  by  their  courteous  and  hearty 
bearing.  He  had  no  longer  any  fear  of  petty  treacheries 
at  least,  for  he  knew  that  the  visit  just  ended  was  a  sincere 
tribute  of  respect  and  amity. 

The  extraordinary  nature  of  the  "  Nina's "  voyage  and 
cargo  was  soon  noised  through  Lisbon,  and  for  the  next  two 
days  the  ship  was  overrun  with  visitors,  and  her  commander 
burdened  with  well-meant  civilities  from  the  most  distin 
guished  residents  of  the  capital.  To  all  their  compliments 
and  flattery  he  answered  simply  that  it  was  God's  doing ; 
that  he  had  merely  been  an  instrument  of  the  Divine  Prov 
idence  in  what  had  been  accomplished.  To  such  questions 
as  seemed  to  be  designed  to  draw  from  him  a  more  partic 
ular  knowledge  than  he  cared  to  give  concerning  his  late 
discoveries,  he  returned  politic  and  guarded  replies.  He 
was  not  going  to  be  led  into  betraying  his  secrets  by  the 
smooth  tongues  of  the  Portuguese  courtiers.  As  for  his  visi 
tors,  their  amazement  knew  no  limits,  and  on  all  sides  was 
to  be  heard  the  remark  that  this  dazzling  acquisition  was 
palpably  the  direct  gift  of  God  to  the  Spanish  monarchs  in 
return  for  their  zealous  piety  in  conquering  the  Moors  and 
driving  from  their  dominions  the  infidel  children  of  Abra 
ham.  In  the  scanty  leisure  permitted  him  by  these  con 
stant  demands  upon  his  hospitality,  Colon  prepared  a  letter  to 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella  in  which  he  announced  the  chief  re 
sults  of  his  expedition.  This  he  sent  overland  to  Barcelona, 
at  the  extreme  border  of  the  Spanish  territories,  from  Lisbon, 
as  he  had  learned  that  the  Castilian  Court  was  estab 
lished  in  that  city.  By  the  same  bearer  he  forwarded 
the  letter  he  had  written  on  shipboard  to  Don  Luiz  de 
Santangel,  having  only  added  to  it  a  postscript  on  the  day 
he  had  come  up  the  river,  in  which  he  told  his  friend  of  his 
safe  arrival  at  Lisbon,  and  contrasted  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather  with  the  benignity  of  the  "  Indian  "  climate.  "  It 
was  always  like  the  month  of  May,"  he  wrote,  as  if  drawing 
a  comparison  with  the  harsh  months  of  February  and  March 
in  the  North  Atlantic. 


3IO       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

On  Friday,  the  8th  of  March,  being  the  fifth  day  of  the 
"  Nina's"  detention  in  the  Tagus,  Dom  Martin  de  Noronha, 
one  of  the  royal  chamberlains,  came  aboard  the  caravel, 
bringing  the  answer  of  King  John  to  the  Admiral's  appeal. 
His  Majesty  therein  expressed  his  very  great  satisfaction  in 
hearing  of  the  safe  arrival  of  the  Spanish  vessel  and  the  de 
sire  he  had  to  learn  from  the  distinguished  navigator's  own 
lips  the  details  of  his  astonishing  exploit.  He  therefore 
begged  Colon  that,  since  the  weather  was  yet  so  tempestu 
ous  that  he  could  not  put  to  sea,  he  would  visit  the  royal 
palace  of  Valle  do  Paraiso  as  the  honored  guest  of  his  Majesty. 
The  letter  added  that  Dom  Martin  de  Noronha,  its  bearer, 
was  instructed  to  wait  upon  the  Admiral  and  furnish  him 
with  all  he  might  require.  In  presenting  this  reply,  the 
chamberlain  also  stated  that  the  king  had  directed  the 
authorities  of  Lisbon  to  supply  without  charge  both  the  ship 
and  her  crew  with  whatever  they  might  need,  and  that  he 
himself  was  to  remain  exclusively  at  the  orders  of  the  Ad 
miral.  All  this  was  very  flattering  and  gracious ;  but  Colon 
was  loath  to  leave  his  ship  and  go  so  far  into  the  country  to 
visit  King  John.  He  had  lived  too  long  among  the  Portu 
guese  to  have  forgotten  their  sententious  proverb,  that 
"  Feathers  and  words  both  float  on  the  wind,"  and  he  had 
hard  experience  that  the  royal  breath  was  no  weightier 
than  that  of  commoner  mortals.  "  The  word  of  the  king 
cannot  turn  back,"  the  same  people  were  fond  of  saying ; 
but  he  had  seen  it  not  only  turn  back,  but  roll  in  the  mire 
as  well,  and  he  hesitated  to  trust  it  now.  However,  he  had 
no  excuse  for  declining  the  royal  invitation ;  the  more  espe 
cially  as  any  display  of  reluctance  would  probably  give  rise 
to  suspicions  as  to  the  real  nature  of  his  voyage,  and  thus  af 
ford  a  plausible  pretext  for  his  detention.  He  accordingly 
signified  to  Dom  Martin  his  intention  to  comply  with  his 
Majesty's  commands,  and  ordered  his  trusty  pilot,  Pedro 
Alonzo,  to  be  prepared  to  accompany  him  on  the  journey. 
The  party  set  out  in  the  afternoon,  under  the  guidance  of 
the  royal  chamberlain  and  escorted  by  a  proper  guard,  and 
went  as  far  on  their  road  as  the  town  of  Sacambem.  The 


KING  AND   COMMONS.  311 

following  morning  they  continued  their  journey,  despite  a 
drenching  rain,  and  reached  the  Valley  of  Paradise  late  in 
the  afternoon. 

The  Admiral  was  met  at  the  entrance  to  the  palace  by 
all  the  dignitaries  and  officers  of  the  Court,  and  treated 
with  the  utmost  distinction.  After  changing  his  travel 
ling-dress  for  a  garb  more  befitting  the  occasion,  he  was 
conducted  to  the  audience-chamber,  where  he  found  King 
John,  surrounded  by  his  whole  court  as  on  a  state  oc 
casion.  Advancing  toward  the  dais,  the  Admiral  bent  his 
knee  and  kissed  the  royal  hand ;  then  rising,  waited  for  the 
king  to  speak,  as  etiquette  demanded.  The  king,  however, 
directed  that  a  chair  be  brought,  and  affably  insisted  that 
the  Admiral  should  be  seated  while  in  his  presence.  This 
honor  was  the  more  marked  by  reason  of  its  excessive  rarity 
in  that  punctilious  Court ;  and  at  this  moment  Colon  must 
have  felt  a  triumph  in  some  degree  commensurate  with  the 
trials  and  hardships  of  the  bitter  past.  It  was  only  ten 
years  since  he  had  left  Lisbon  overwhelmed  with  debt  and 
almost  despairing  under  the  weight  of  grievous  disappoint 
ment.  It  was  only  five  years  this  same  month  of  March 
since  King  John  himself  had  offered  to  him,  as  an  induce 
ment  to  return  to  Portugal  and  renew  the  negotiations  for 
his  western  enterprise,  that  he  "  should  not  be  seized,  de 
tained,  accused,  cited,  or  tried  on  any  charge,  whether  civil 
or  criminal."  To-day  he  was  sitting  in  the  presence  of  this 
very  prince,  the  one  member  of  all  that  glittering  company 
for  whom  such  a  condescension  was  admissible  ! 

The  Portuguese  sovereign  engaged  in  an  earnest  and 
even  cordial  conversation  with  his  guest,  as  if  bent  on  re 
moving  all  possible  doubt  or  distrust  from  his  mind.  He 
(Congratulated  the  Admiral  upon  the  happy  termination  of 
his  adventurous  expedition,  and  asked  him  many  questions 
about  the  new  lands  he  had  visited,  and  their  people  and 
productions.  Colon  answered  all  the  royal  inquiries  with 
frankness  and  simplicity,  but  was  ever  on  his  guard  against 
surprise.  He  knew  the  man  he  had  to  deal  with,  sovereign 
though  he  was ;  and  that  his  caution  was  not  superfluous  soon 


312       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

became  apparent.  The  Admiral  having  said  that  beyond 
all  question  the  countries  he  had  discovered  were  the  east 
ern  confines  of  Asia  and  the  isles  of  the  Indies,  King  John 
raised  his  hand  as  if  in  dissent,  and  remarked  in  his  suavest 
tones,  — 

"  There  we  cannot  accompany  you,  Senor  Don  Admiral, 
without  far  greater  study  than  we  have  as  yet  been  able  to 
give  to  so  grave  a  matter.  As  we  read  the  charts,  by  sail 
ing  so  far  to  the  west  you  have  come  within  the  eastern 
world  which  was  conceded  to  us  by  our  allies  of  Spain  in  the 
capitulations  of  seventy-nine.  But  there  is  no  cause  for  dis 
puting  now  this  matter ;  after  we  have  taken  the  judgment 
of  our  most  skilled  astronomers  and  map-men  regarding  it, 
we  will  discuss  the  question  amicably  with  their  Majesties 
of  Castile.  Both  the  Crown  of  Spain  and  ourselves  wish 
for  nothing  that  may  not  be  of  right  our  due." 

The  Admiral  suspected  a  trap  he  could  not  see.  Even 
the  assumed  indifference  of  the  king  seemed  to  him  sus 
picious.  So,  bowing  toward  his  royal  host,  he  answered 
with  great  deference, — 

"  Your  Majesty  most  surely  knows  far  more  of  such  weighty 
affairs  than  a  poor  sea-captain,  for  neither  of  the  treaty  nor 
of  other  concerns  of  State  do  I  know  aught.  But  I  crave  your 
Majesty's  gracious  license  to  say  that  my  sovereign's  strictest 
orders  were  that  I  should  touch  neither  at  the  Gold  Coast 
nor  other  part  of  Guinea,  nor  explore  in  the  direction  of 
any  of  the  territories  claimed  by  Portugal.  The  warning 
that  my  ships  were  forbidden  from  all  such  interference  with 
the  labors  of  your  Majesty's  own  hardy  navigators  was  pro 
claimed  formally  in  every  port  of  Andalusia  before  I  sailed 
last  year.  If,  therefore,  despite  my  anxious  precautions,  I 
have  approached  too  near  the  eastern  world  allotted  to  your 
royal  Crown,  I  most  humbly  entreat  your  Majesty  to  believe 
that  it  was  due  to  my  poor  skill  in  navigation,  and  not  to  any 
desire  to  invade  the  limits  of  your  Majesty's  possessions." 

Whether  King  John  knew  anything  about  the  "  eastern 
world  "  which  he  had  claimed  in  the  partition  of  the  Ocean 
made  in  1479  w^^  Castile  is  more  than  doubtful;  he  cer- 


KING  AND   COMMONS.  313 

tainly  had  no  ambition  to  dispute  the  point  with  the  fore 
most  geographer  of  the  age.  So  he  blandly  dismissed  the 
subject  with  a  smile. 

"Without  doubt,  without  doubt,  Senor  Admiral.  The 
matter  calls  for  no  immediate  adjustment,  and  I  question 
not  shall  be  settled  between  our  Crown  and  their  Catholic 
Majesties  without  the  need  of  an  arbitrator." 

With  this  the  king  brought  the  audience  to  a  close  by  a 
renewal  of  his  former  offer  of  assistance  in  anything  the  Ad 
miral  might  need.  He  assigned  his  guest  to  the  care  of  the 
Prior  of  the  Convent  of  Crato,  as  being  the  principal  person 
age  of  the  Court,  and  announced  his  desire  of  continuing  the 
conversation  at  an  early  opportunity.  The  eminent  ecclesias 
tic  proved  to  be  a  nobleman  in  more  than  the  conventional 
sense  ;  and  from  him  Colon  received  a  sincere  and  generous 
attention.  What  would  the  worthy  Governor  of  Santa  Maria 
have  thought  had  he  but  known  that  the  commander  of  the 
dingy  little  caravel  whom  he  had  held  in  the  harbor  of  San 
Lorenzo  was  the  honored  guest  of  his  most  serene  mon 
arch  ?  That  it  was  hard  to  fathom  the  purposes  of  kings, 
perhaps. 

Early  on  the  following  day  the  Admiral  was  summoned  to 
the  king's  presence,  and  spent  a  long  time  in  detailing  to 
his  Majesty  the  information  he  was  eager  to  acquire  con 
cerning  the  regions  his  visitor  had  explored  and  the  ocean 
he  had  twice  traversed.  The  king  informed  Colon  that  the 
queen  was  residing  for  the  time  being  at  the  Monastery  of 
San  Antonio  at  Villafranca,  near  Lisbon,  and  greatly  desired 
to  converse  with  the  Admiral ;  whereupon  the  latter  asked 
the  king's  permission  to  leave  the  Court  on  the  next  day,  in 
order  that  he  might  do  his  homage  to  her  Majesty  as  he  re 
turned  to  his  vessel.  To  this  King  John  perforce  assented, 
having  no  pretence  for  further  detaining  his  guest ;  and  the 
Admiral  made  his  preparations  for  departure.  From  all 
the  royal  household,  from  monarch  to  man-at-arms,  he  had 
received  unequivocal  marks  of  respect  and  admiration ;  but 
he  bore  himself  with  a  studious  moderation  and  simplicity. 
Those  who  applauded  his  deeds  were  not  his  friends ;  and 


314      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

this  he  knew  without  the  need  of  any  monitory  incident. 
Both  national  and  personal  jealousy  were  actively  ferment 
ing,  and  he  acted  in  all  respects  with  the  circumspection 
of  a  trained  courtier.  If  the  Crown  of  Portugal  could  not 
hope  to  rob  the  Spanish  sovereigns  of  their  new-gained 
world,  there  was  many  an  intriguer  attached  to  it  who  would 
do  his  best  endeavor  to  destroy  the  fame  of  its  discoverer. 
What  was  he  to  them,  at  best,  but  a  map-drawing  merchant 
sailor,  dressed  in  red  velvet?  If  he  gave  no  indication  of 
the  thought  that  was  in  his  mind,  the  Admiral  kept  it  none 
the  less  ever  present ;  and  it  was  well  for  him  that  he  did. 
Some  faithful  ally  of  his  numberless  detractors  hastened  to 
advise  the  Spanish  Court  that  their  Admiral  was  negotiating 
in  secret  the  delivery  of  the  Indies  to  the  King  of  Portugal, 
and  that  his  arrival  in  the  Tagus  was  due  to  this  intended 
treachery  !  To  the  credit  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  be  it 
said,  the  venomous  tale  was  wasted  in  the  telling ;  but  it 
rankled  long  in  Colon's  heart,  and  years  aftenvard  he  re 
ferred  to  it  as  one  of  the  crowning  indignities  to  which  he 
had  been  exposed.  There  is  no  evidence  that  he  was 
aware  of  the  malicious  deed  at  the  time ;  but  his  path  in 
the  Vale  of  Paradise  was  so  beset  with  pitfalls  that  it  is  no 
marvel  he  was  anxious  to  exchange  the  glory  that  beats 
about  a  throne  for  the  safer  quiet  of  his  narrow  quarters  on 
the  caravel. 

After  breakfast  on  the  morning  of  the  nth  he  had  his 
final  audience  with  the  king,  and  kissed  the  royal  hands  on 
taking  leave.  King  John  was  graciousness  itself,  and  con 
fided  to  the  Admiral  various  messages  he  desired  to  send  to 
the  Spanish  monarchs.  He  also  directed  Dom  Martin  de 
Noronha  to  act  as  escort  for  the  Admiral  back  to  Lisbon, 
and,  in  fine,  bade  him  farewell  with  as  many  demonstrations 
of  friendliness  as  he  had  shown  in  receiving  him.  For  the 
first  league  out  of  the  Valle  do  Paraiso  Colon  was  accom 
panied  by  a  large  party  of  the  courtiers,  who  testified  in  this 
manner  their  esteem,  whether  real  or  feigned,  for  their  de 
parting  guest ;  and  when  they  at  length  parted  from  him, 
it  was  with  every  outward  show  of  distinguished  honor. 


KING  AND   COMMONS.  315 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  the  Admiral  and 
his  escort  arrived  at  the  Monastery  of  San  Antonio.  He 
was  received  with  much  cordiality  by  the  queen  and  royal 
princes.  Her  Majesty  in  particular  showed  a  lively  interest 
in  all  his  exploits,  and  dismissed  him  with  many  assurances 
of  her  highest  consideration.  That  night  he  slept  at  Llan- 
dra,  on  the  road  to  Lisbon,  intending  to  reach  his  ship  the 
next  day  and  set  sail  without  delay,  as  the  weather  was 
now  propitious.  In  the  morning,  however,  a  royal  page 
arrived  from  the  Valle  do  Paraiso  with  a  message  from 
King  John.  His  Majesty  sent  word  that  after  the  Ad 
miral's  departure  he  had  bethought  him  that  perhaps  his 
visitor  would  find  it  more  convenient  to  make  the  journey 
overland  to  Spain,  rather  than  continue  on  by  sea,  and  had 
therefore  sent  one  of  his  pages  to  accompany  the  Admiral 
to  the  Spanish  frontier  should  he  so  elect.  The  king  had 
also  sent  a  couple  of  excellent  mules  from  the  royal  stables 
for  the  use  of  the  Admiral  and  his  pilot  on  the  proposed 
journey ;  and  the  page  had  authority  to  provide  all  else 
that  might  be  requisite  for  Colon's  comfort.  This  hospi 
table  offer  the  Admiral  declined,  with  many  expressions  of 
gratitude  and  recognition.  The  page  therefore  took  his 
departure,  leaving  the  two  mules  for  the  Admiral's  use  on 
the  remainder  of  his  road  to  Lisbon,  and  bestowing  upon 
the  pilot  a  purse  of  golden  sequins.1 

This  proposal  of  the  Portuguese  king,  coming  as  it  did  at 
the  eleventh  hour,  is  not  easy  of  explanation  with  the  light 
we  now  possess.  Some  have  held,  looking  through  Spanish 
glasses,  that  if  the  Admiral  had  accepted  the  offer  he  would 
never  have  reached  any  frontier  this  side  the  Stygian  shores. 
Certain  of  King  John's  counsellors,  this  school  affirm,  had 
poisoned  the  royal  ear  with  dastardly  suggestions  of  the  vast 
increase  likely  to  accrue  to  the  Castilian  power  from  the 
Admiral's  discoveries,  and  pointed  out  a  ready  way  of  pre 
venting  their  being  utilized,  at  least  under  his  leadership. 
Others  again,  dipping  their  pens  in  Portuguese  ink,  deny  this 

1  This  incident  is  related  with  some  variations  by  Las  Casas  ;  but 
the  diary  gives  it,  in  greater  detail,  as  above  recorded. 


316      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE   OCEAN  SEA. 

imputation  as  a  malicious  slander,  and  attribute  King  John's 
offer  to  an  hospitable  afterthought  intended  to  spare  his 
illustrious  visitor  the  tedium  and  uncertainty  of  completing 
his  journey  by  water.  We  see  no  cause  to  question  the 
substantial  accuracy  of  the  latter  view,  although  there  seems 
to  be  no  doubt  that  the  king  was  in  fact  urged  to  seize  the 
tempting  opportunity  to  dispose  effectually  of  the  man  who 
promised  to  raise  Castile  beyond  the  wildest  dreams  of 
Portuguese  rivalry.  Colon  himself,  who  certainly  evinces 
elsewhere  no  tenderness  for  the  sensibilities  of  Lusitania, 
makes  no  remark  upon  the  possible  motives  of  King  John. 
In  relating  the  various  incidents  of  his  visit  to  that  sovereign 
he  simply  adds,  "  I  have  recorded  all  that  the  king  did  to 
me,  so  that  your  Majesties  should  know."  The  Delphic 
oracle  itself  could  not  be  more  sibylline. 

At  nightfall  on  Wednesday,  the   i2th  of  March,  Colon 
reached  Lisbon,  and  went  directly  on  board  the  "  Nina." 


XXV. 
HIGH   NOON   AND   THE  TIDE   AT  FLOOD. 

AT  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  i3th  of  March 
the  "Nina"  weighed  anchor  and  stood  down  the 
Tagus  on  her  way  to  Spain.  The  weather  was  fair  and  the 
wind  favorable  for  her  southerly  run,  so  that  by  daylight  of 
the  1 4th  she  was  off  Cape  St.  Vincent.  It  was  the  Admiral's 
intention,  on  leaving  Lisbon,  to  make  direct  for  the  mouth 
of  the  Guadalquivir  and  ascend  that  river  to  Seville,  where 
he  would  be  within  comparatively  easy  reach  of  his  sover 
eigns  ;  but  as  he  changed  his  course  for  the  eastward  run 
he  also  altered  his  plans,  and  decided  to  put  into  Palos,  and 
there  determine  upon  his  future  movements.  All  that  day 
and  evening  he  coasted  along  the  shores  of  Portugal,  mak 
ing  but  slow  progress,  for  as  night  shut  in  he  was  only  off 
the  harbor  of  Furon.  By  the  time  the  sun  rose  on  the  i5th, 
however,  the  coast  presented  a  familiar  appearance  to  the 
joyful  crew ;  for  as  far  as  the  eye  could  follow  stretched  the 
"  fat  sands "  and  flat  beaches  which  form  the  seacoast  of 
Andalusia.  The  wind  was  light ;  but  the  tide  was  in  their 
favor,  and  before  long  they  sighted  the  entrance  to  the 
estuary  of  the  Tinto  and  the  Odiel.  Slowly  the  "Nina" 
crept  toward  the  well-known  harbor,  until  the  excited  sailors 
could  see  the  little  town  of  Saltes,  then  the  hills  behind 
Palos  itself,  and  at  last  the  white  walls  of  La  Rabida  on  the 
height.  Onward  swept  the  little  caravel,  borne  rather  by 
tide  than  wind.  Willing  hands  executed  the  Admiral's 
orders  to  hoist  the  royal  standard  on  the  "  castle  "  and  the 


3l8       WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

banner  of  the  green  cross  at  the  mainmast  head ;  and  with 
such  sorry  pomp  as  she  could  muster  the  battered  vessel 
moved  steadily  to  her  goal.  She  had  not  many  miles  to  go ; 
but  she  seemed  almost  reluctant  to  traverse  them,  as  if  loath 
to  close  her  glorious  career.  The  sun  was  nearly  overhead 
when  she  reached  the  Saltes  bar ;  a  few  rolls  and  plunges 
and  she  was  past  it.  As  the  dial  marked  high  noon  and  the 
tide  was  touching  flood,  the  "  Nina  "  entered  the  Tinto  and 
sought  the  anchorage  she  had  left  seven  months  and  fifteen 
days  before.  She  had  seen  strange  sights  and  done  brave 
deeds,  had  this  "  Little  Girl,"  in  the  interval. 

There  had  been  ample  time  for  the  report  to  spread 
from  the  riverside  to  Palos  and  Moguer  that  "  one  of  the 
Senor  Colon's  ships  "  was  coming  into  harbor ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  "  Nina  "  had  swung  around,  she  was  surrounded  by 
boatloads  of  eager  townspeople.  Heartily  responding  to 
their  greetings,  the  Admiral  gave  them  such  tidings  as  he 
could  at  the  time ;  but  he  himself  was  anxious  to  reach  the 
shore.  Entering  his  boat  at  the  earliest  possible  moment, 
he  was  rowed  to  the  landing-place.  The  welcome  which  he 
received  was  a  foretaste  of  what  the  ensuing  months  had  in 
store  for  him.  The  whole  population  of  Palos  and  its  vicin 
ity  for  miles  around  had  crowded  to  the  beach ;  and  as 
Colon  stepped  from  the  boat,  loud  shouts  of  gladness  and 
unstinted  praise  arose  from  every  side.  The  good  Fray 
Antonio  was  waiting  with  ready  arms  for  the  man  he  loved 
and  had  served  so  well ;  and  as  the  two  friends  were  locked 
in  a  warm  embrace,  there  were  more  tears  seen  than  words 
spoken  for  a  few  minutes.  After  him  there  was  the  young 
physician  to  be  greeted  in  a  manner  scarcely  less  earnest. 
Then  Juan  of  the  hard  head  pressed  forward,  eager  to  re 
port  right  then  and  there  his  fulfilment  of  "  the  Master's  " 
orders.  Burly  Sebastian,  the  privateersman,  claimed  recog 
nition  too ;  and  Diego  Prieto  and  his  fellow-functionaries 
were  impatient  to  give  his  Excellency  the  Senor  Don  Ad 
miral  a  practical  demonstration  of  the  flexibility  of  the  offi 
cial  knee.  Besides  these,  there  were  a  hundred  questioners 
to  answer  as  to  where  the  voyage  had  led  the  fleet  and  what 


HIGH  NOON  AND    THE   TIDE  AT  FLOOD.      319 

had  befallen  the  "Pinta"  and  the  "Santa  Maria."  The 
Admiral  was,  of  course,  the  centre  of  attention,  though 
every  sailor  was  encompassed  by  his  own  small  circle  of 
joyful  friends  or  curious  listeners.  If  in  the  midst  of  the 
general  rejoicing  and  enthusiasm  there  was  heard  now  and 
again  a  broken  sob  or  a  choking  prayer  to  Our  Lady  of  Sor 
rows,  it  was  only  some  stricken  woman  bewailing  the  loss  of 
husband  or  son  who  was  not  a  member  of  the  "  Nina's  " 
crew.  Such  things  must  happen,  of  course,  even  in  the 
victories  of  Peace ;  and  it  was  too  much  to  expect  an  An- 
dalusian  peasant  to  care  more  for  the  aggrandizement  of 
the  Spanish  Crown  than  for  her  own  happiness.  As  for  the 
copper-colored  savages  who  stood  together  in  a  wondering 
group  apart,  they  divided  with  the  Admiral  himself  the 
honors  of  the  day.  Unhappily,  they  left  no  record  of  their 
impressions  of  the  white  man's  "  heaven  "  which  they  had 
now  reached.  It  would  be  worth  while  to  know  what  their 
ideas  had  been  while  they  were  being  pitched  around  in  the 
storm-tossed  ship  and  stared  at  by  the  Lisbon  crowds.  By 
the  time  they  had  reached  Palos  they  must  have  had  grave 
doubts  as  to  the  celestial  origin  of  their  bearded  shipmates. 
Colon  was  the  first  to  remind  his  men  that  their  earliest 
duty  lay  within  the  walls  of  St.  George's  Church.  Forming 
in  ceremonious  procession,  they  all  marched  into  the  sanc 
tuary,  and  devoutly  offered  up  their  thanks  for  the  manifold 
tokens  of  Divine  favor  which  they  had  received.  Te  Deunt 
Laudamus  was  solemnly  intoned ;  and  voyagers  and  towns 
folk  alike  joined  in  the  praise  for  the  triumph  which  had 
been  vouchsafed  to  what  all  were  now  overjoyed  to  claim  as 
"  the  ships  of  Palos."  The  service  of  thanksgiving  com 
pleted,  the  men  were  pulled  hither  and  thither  by  those  who 
claimed  them,  and  appealed  to  their  commander  for  his  in 
structions  as  to  their  future  movements.  The  Admiral 
would  not  let  his  men  disperse  beyond  his  reach,  for  he 
was  half  inclined  to  complete  the  journey  to  Barcelona  by 
sea ;  but  he  gave  them  liberty  to  go  at  pleasure  within  the 
reach  of  his  summons.  Little  by  little  the  throng  broke  up 
and  drifted  off  in  sections,  with  one  of  the  pilots  or  some 


32O      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

seaman  as  the  axis  of  its  independent  motion.  The  news 
the  travellers  had  to  tell  was  too  marvellous  even  in  its 
naked  truth  to  be  easily  grasped  by  their  hearers,  and  we 
may  be  sure  it  lost  none  of  its  strangeness  in  the  telling ; 
so  the  loss  of  their  relatives  and  gossips  on  the  "Pinta" 
was  of  more  ready  comprehension  by  the  townspeople,  and 
came  nearer  to  them  by  far  than  wild  stories  of  countries 
where  one-eyed  men  ate  those  with  two  eyes,  and  all  alike 
went  naked  from  one  year's  end  to  the  next.  The  Admiral 
himself  went  with  the  superior  and  Garcia  Fernandez  to  the 
convent,  and  was  soon  deeply  immersed  in  informing  him 
self  as  to  the  condition  of  affairs  in  Spain,  and  in  relating 
to  his  sympathetic  auditors  the  chief  events  of  the  voyage 
so  happily  concluded.  It  was  late  at  night  when  the  three 
friends  separated ;  and  Colon  for  the  first  time  in  many 
months  lay  down  to  rest  undisturbed  by  care  and  unhar- 
rassed  by  suspicion.  That  night,  if  we  mistake  not,  it  would 
not  have  been  in  the  power  of  "  any  mosquito  "  to  have  in 
terfered  with  his  slumbers. 

For  the  next  few  days  the  Admiral's  energies  were  taxed 
to  the  utmost.  He  had  abandoned  his  idea  of  passing 
through  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  with  his  caravel  and  going 
to  Barcelona  by  sea,  and  had  despatched  a  courier  to  an 
nounce  to  their  Majesties  his  arrival  at  Palos,  and  his  inten 
tion  to  go  overland  by  way  of  Seville  at  the  first  practicable 
moment.  He  now  had  to  make  all  the  arrangements  both 
for  this  journey  and  for  closing  up  the  most  pressing  mat 
ters  connected  with  the  voyage.  There  was  the  "  Nina  "  to 
be  unloaded  and  disposed  of ;  the  crew  to  be  discharged,  or 
dismissed  on  liberty ;  his  reports  and  charts  to  be  com 
pleted  and  prepared  for  their  Majesties'  inspection ;  and 
many  letters  written  to  the  Court  and  his  friends  elsewhere 
announcing  the  result  of  his  expedition  and  future  plans. 
Nor  were  the  obligations  of  religion  less  exacting.  The 
very  day  after  his  arrival  was  a  Saturday ;  and  in  compliance 
with  their  pledge  he  and  his  men  again  all  walked  in  pro 
cession  to  St.  George's  Church  in  airy  attire,  and  there 
heard  Mass,  both  as  a  complement  to  their  fast  on  that  day 


HIGH  NOON  AND   THE   TIDE  AT  FLOOD.      $21 

and  to  complete  the  pilgrimage  so  rudely  interrupted  at  the 
Portuguese  chapel  in  Santa  Maria.  Another  day  he  had  to 
spend  in  going  to  Santa  Maria  of  the  Belt,  in  Huelva ;  while 
a  night  was  passed  at  the  altar  of  Santa  Clara  of  Moguer. 
Pedro  de  Villa  must  also  be  despatched  on  his  long  trip  to 
Loreto  in  the  territories  of  the  Pope,  to  perform  the  penance 
thrust  upon  him  by  his  lot.  As  for  Our  Lady  of  Guadaloupe, 
she  had  to  wait  for  her  five-pound  candle  of  pure  white  wax 
until  the  Admiral  came  within  more  convenient  distance. 
The  debt  was  as  good  as  gold ;  for  those  who  went  down 
into  the  sea  in  ships  in  those  days  settled  with  the  saints 
as  punctually  as  they  fleeced  their  fellow-sinners. 

While  the  Admiral  was  thus  busied  with  his  manifold 
duties,  secular  and  religious,  what  might  well  have  passed 
for  a  miracle  happened,  throwing  the  little  town  into 
an  excitement  even  greater  than  that  attending  Colon's 
own  arrival.  One  day  a  vessel  stood  up  the  broad  estuary, 
and  crossing  the  bar,  dropped  anchor  by  the  "  Nina." 
Those  who  saw  her  rubbed  their  eyes  and  crossed  them 
selves  in  terror ;  for  either  the  new-comer  was  a  phantom 
ship  or  she  was  the  "  Pinta,"  which  was  supposed  to  be 
lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  deep  Atlantic.  Strartge  to  say, 
from  the  ship  herself  no  word  was  brought  at  first.  A  boat 
put  off  from  her  side ;  but  instead  of  boarding  the  "  Nina  " 
or  making  for  the  landing-place,  it  headed  for  a  little  cove, 
and  there  discharged  its  passengers.  It  was  only  when  the 
people  of  the  port  had  rowed  out  to  her  that  they  learned  her 
tale.  The  "  Pinta,"  for  such  she  was  in  veritable  hemp  and 
timber,  had  weathered  the  terrible  storm  of  the  i4th  of  Feb 
ruary  ;  but  on  seeing  no  trace  of  the  "  Nina,"  Martin  Alonzo 
had  concluded  that  his  sister  ship  was  lost.  After  excessive 
toil  and  peril,  he  had  made  the  port  of  Bayonne  in  France, 
and  having  there  refitted,  had  sailed  direct  for  Palos.  The 
"  Pinta' s  "  crew  were  as  much  amazed  to  find  the  "  Nina  " 
floating  quietly  at  anchor  in  the  Tinto  as  were  their  friends 
on  shore  to  see  the  missing  ship  ;  for  no  one  on  the  "  Pinta  " 
had  doubted  that  their  companions  on  the  other  vessel  were 
long  since  beneath  the  waves.  So  much  of  their  story  the 

21 


322      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

crew  told  now.  Their  captain,  Martin  Alonzo,  was  sorely 
ill,  they  said ;  and  it  was  he  who  had  been  landed  in  the 
cove,  the  better  to  go  direct  to  his  home,  and  thus  avoid 
the  agitation  and  confusion  of  passing  through  the  town. 

Such  tidings  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  Admiral.  When 
he  heard  of  the  "  Pinta's  "  arrival,  he  sent  for  her  officers 
and  inquired  the  exact  particulars  of  their  separate  cruise. 
They  repeated  what  they  had  told  the  first  inquirers,  but 
added  sundry  important  details.  On  the  very  day  that  they 
had  anchored  at  Bayonne  a  ship  entered  the  harbor  coming 
from  Flanders,  on  which  by  a  strange  coincidence  was  Arias 
Perez  Pinzon,  the  oldest  son  of  their  captain,  who  joined  his 
father  as  soon  as  he  learned  that  the  "  Pinta  "  was  so  near.1 
After  this,  the  men  continued,  Martin  Alonzo  had  de 
spatched  a  courier  across  the  Pyrenees  to  bear  to  the  Spanish 
sovereigns  the  tidings  of  his  safe  arrival  and  his  wonderful 
discovery  of  the  Golden  Indies,  and  to  announce  to  their 
Majesties  that  he  would  sail  thence  directly  for  Palos  and 
hasten  to  lay  before  them  a  report  of  his  voyage,  and  of 
the  lamentable  fate  which  had  befallen  the  Admiral  and  his 
companions.  From  Bayonne  they  had  made  their  way  to 
Palos ;  and  when  Martin  Alonzo  had  found  the  "  Nina " 
safe  in  port  before  him,  he  had  ordered  out  his  boat,  been 
rowed  ashore  with  his  son,  and  gone  to  his  home  in  the 
manner  already  related.  As  Colon  heard  this  story,  his  face 
grew  sterner  than  was  his  wont ;  but  he  gave  no  other  sign 
of  the  wrath  which  was  consuming  him.  He  treated  the 
"  Pinta's "  men  and  their  vessel  precisely  as  he  had  the 
"  Nina  "  and  her  crew,  and  set  them  to  work  putting  their 
affairs  in  order.  As  for  Martin  Alonzo,  the  Admiral  would 
bide  his  time.  Palos  was  the  home  of  the  Pinzons,  and 
their  voices  would  be  heard  before  his  by  most  ears.  Ere- 

1  This  singular  fact  is  reported  by  the  younger  Pinzon  and  other 
witnesses  in  the  great  lawsuit,  and  seems  to  be  beyond  dispute.  We 
surmise  that  it  furnishes  the  basis  on  which  the  story  has  been  built 
as  to  the  "  Pinta"  coming  into  Palos  on  the  very  day  of  Colon's  ar 
rival.  Herrera  first  gave  currency  to  the  attractive  fable,  and  has 
been  followed  by  many  later  historians  ;  but  we  find  no  trace  of  any 
such  occurrence  other  than  the  coincidence  mentioned  above. 


HIGH  NOON  AND   THE   TIDE  AT  FLOOD.      323 

long  he  should  be  able  to  tell  his  story  where  it  would  be 
hearkened  to  to  some  purpose.  With  this  resolution,  the 
Admiral  continued  his  preparations  for  setting  out  to  Barce 
lona.  Martin  Alonzo  himself  avoided  all  contact  with  his 
chief;  and  by  degrees  the  report  gathered  strength  that 
the  Spanish  captain  had  been  unjustly  treated,  and  that  to 
the  Palos  seamen,  and  not  to  the  Italian  navigator,  was  due 
the  greater  credit  for  what  had  been  accomplished.  Colon 
held  his  peace ;  and  few  even  of  the  townspeople  paid  any 
heed  to  the  whispers.  It  was  enough  for  them  just  now  that 
the  sea  had  given  up  its  dead,  and  that  of  all  who  had  sailed 
on  that  wild  and  desperate  adventure,  neither  man  nor  boy 
from  Palos  or  its  neighborhood  was  missing. 

It  was  nearly  a  fortnight  before  the  Admiral  could  start 
upon  his  journey  overland  to  Barcelona.  From  the  mo 
ment  he  left  the  little  seaport  until  that  of  his  triumphant 
reception  by  his  grateful  sovereigns  and  their  obsequious 
Court  his  progress  was  one  continued  series  of  enthusiastic 
acclamations.  In  order  to  enhance  the  popular  estimate  of 
the  importance  of  his  discovery  and  establish  at  the  outset 
a  realizing  conception  of  its  truly  Oriental  splendor,  he  took 
with  him  an  extensive  retinue,  consisting  of  his  pilots  and 
principal  seamen,  the  Indian  interpreters  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  a  long  train  of  pack-mules  laden  with  the  varied 
spoils  of  his  pacific  campaign.  As  he  passed,  in  easy  stages, 
along  the  highway  leading  through  the  plains  of  Andalusia 
and  the  mountains  of  Granada,  the  shepherds  left  their 
flocks,  the  vinedressers  their  vineyards,  the  peasants  their 
fields,  and  one  and  all — men,  women,  and  children  — 
thronged  to  see  the  wonderful  beings  from  another  world 
and  the  brown- faced  mariners  who  had  crossed  the  West 
ern  Ocean  under  the  guidance  of  that  blue-eyed  leader 
riding  in  stately  dignity  at  their  head.  The  Admiral  was 
ever  somewhat  given  to  proper  pomp  and  circumstance,  as 
we  have  seen ;  and  when  his  route  lay  through  any  town  of 
sufficient  importance,  he  caused  his  Indians  to  don  their 
ornaments  of  gold  and  feathered  plumes,  and  bear  their 
fragile  weapons  in  their  hands ;  while  his  own  more  sturdy 


324      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

people  displayed  some  of  the  impressive  trophies  of  his  vic 
tory  over  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of  his  age.  Wher 
ever  they  halted  there  were  compliments  and  flattery  to  be 
received  from  supple  dignitaries,  and  the  wondering  curiosity 
of  lord  and  hind  alike  to  be  satisfied  by  the  recital  of  the 
incidents  of  the  voyage  and  an  exhibition  of  the  golden 
masks  and  strange  animals  from  the  distant  regions  beyond 
the  sea.  The  rumor  of  their  advent  preceded  the  slowly 
moving  train,  and  the  villages  off  the  line  of  march  were 
emptied,  says  an  eyewitness ;  such  was  the  eagerness  <3f  the 
people  to  behold  this  astonishing  display. 

On  the  3ist  of  March  the  notable  procession  entered  the 
famous  city  of  Seville.  The  day  was  Palm  Sunday,  —  one 
dedicated  by  the  populace  of  all  Catholic  countries  to  fes 
tivity  and  gladness,  —  and  the  town  was  already  in  holiday 
attire  ;  but  the  arrival  of  Colon  and  his  companions  increased 
by  a  thousand  fold  the  interest  of  the  festival,  and  made  it 
memorable  in  the  annals  of  even  that  historic  capital.  He 
was  met  by  the  principal  cavaliers  and  officials  without  the 
gates,  and  accompanied  by  them  as  an  escort  of  honor  to 
the  lodgings  "  next  to  the  arch  which  is  called  '  of  the 
Images '  at  San  Nieblas,"  which  had  been  secured  for  him 
and  his  cortege.  The  streets  were  thronged  to  impas- 
sability  with  sightseers,  while  every  window  framed  a  group 
of  eager  faces.  From  balcony  and  window-sill  hung  gayly 
colored  tapestries ;  and  at  short  intervals,  stretched  from 
house  to  house,  festoons  of  banners  fluttered  in  the  breeze. 
As  the  Admiral  paced  slowly  up  the  leaf-strewn  street,  accom 
panied  by  his  honorable  retinue  and  followed  by  the  groups 
of  bronzed  sailors  and  dusky  savages,  every  neck  was  craned 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  man  who  had  been  —  where  ?  and 
done  —  what  ?  Few  in  the  great  concourse  gazing  at  him 
as  something  more  than  human  could  have  told.  Perhaps  it 
was  better  so ;  for  as  their  ignorance  of  the  world  they  lived 
in  was  complete,  so  much  the  greater  was  their  amazement 
and  credulity  at  the  sight  of  so  much  they  had  never  heard  or 
dreamed  of.  We,  who  live  in  the  continent  which  Colon  dis 
covered, —  and  know  so  much  more  about  it  than  he, — 


HIGH  NOON  AND   THE    TIDE  AT  FLOOD.      325 

have  sometimes  been  invited  to  consider  him  a  person 
of  very  ordinary  attainments. 

Loud  as  were  the  plaudits  of  the  good  people  of  Seville, 
and  welcome  as  was  the  tribute  of  their  undisguised  wonder 
ment,  a  far  more  momentous  triumph  awaited  the  Admiral 
here.  A  few  days  after  his  arrival  and  while  he  was  yet  re 
ceiving  the  attentions  of  the  learned  and  the  powerful,  of 
priest  and  layman,  a  courier  arrived  from  Barcelona  and 
delivered  to  him  a  packet  sealed  with  the  royal  cipher.  On 
its  face  was  the  superscription :  "  From  the  King  and  the 
Queen.  To  Don  Crist6val  Colon,  Their  Admiral  of  the 
Ocean  Sea  and  Viceroy  and  Governor  of  the  Islands  discov 
ered  in  the  Indies."  At  last  his  success  was  indeed  com 
plete  !  Their  Majesties  had  made  good  their  pledges,  and 
now  greeted  him  by  the  titles  he  had  won  at  the  cost  of  such 
years  and  years  of  patient  faith  and  hard  endurance. 

The  royal  missive  ran :  — 

"  We  have  read  your  letters,  and  had  great  delight  in  learning 
what  in  them  you  have  written  to  Us,  and  that  God  has  vouch 
safed  you  so  happy  an  ending  to  your  labors  and  directed  favor 
ably  what  you  began,  in  which  both  He  shall  be  so  greatly 
glorified  and  Ourselves  and  Our  Kingdoms  shall  receive  so 
much  advantage.  If  God  pleases,  besides  what  you  have  done 
in  this  matter  for  His  service  you  shall  receive  from  Us  many 
favors  which,  you  may  be  assured,  shall  be  such  as  your  trials 
and  labors  deserve.  And  because  We  desire  that  what  you  have 
begun,  with  God's  help,  may  be  continued  and  carried  further, 
We  wish  that  your  coming  hither  should  not  be  delayed.  There 
fore,  for  Our  better  service,  We  desire  that  you  make  the  utmost 
haste  you  can  in  your  journey,  and  in  good  time  all  shall  be 
arranged  as  may  be  necessary.  As  you  know,  the  Summer  is 
already  commenced,  and  in  order  that  the  season  for  returning 
to  those  regions  shall  not  elapse,  see  whether  you  can  do  anything 
in  Seville,  or  the  other  places  you  may  visit,  to  advance  your  re 
turn  to  the  countries  you  have  discovered,  and  write  to  Us  imme 
diately  by  this  same  messenger,  who  has  orders  to  return  at  once. 
Thus  whatever  is  to  be  done  can  be  provided  for  while  you  are 
on  your  way  hither  and  stopping  here,  in  such  manner  that  when 
you  leave  here  everything  may  be  ready. 

"Done  at  Barcelona,  the  3oth  day  of  March,  ninety  three. 

"I,  THE  KING.    I,  THE  QUEEN." 


326      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

It  had  taken  the  Spanish  sovereigns  nearly  seven  years  to 
give  their  consent  to  the  first  voyage  ;  but  on  learning  of  its 
result  it  took  them  less  than  as  many  days  to  determine  on 
a  second  one.  The  Admiral  saw  no  inconsistency  in  this 
frantic  haste.  His  own  most  earnest  wish  was  to  return  as 
quickly  as  possible  to  the  beautiful  regions  in  the  Western 
Ocean  and  complete  his  work  by  finding  the  mainland  of 
Cathay,  and  opening  up  the  dominions  of  the  Great  Khan 
to  Spanish  commerce  and  the  Christian  religion.  The  letter 
of  their  Majesties  was,  therefore,  a  source  of  keenest  gratifi 
cation  to  him,  assuring  as  it  did  their  hearty  co-operation 
in  the  preparation  and  despatch  of  his  second  expedition. 
Hence  he  exerted  himself  diligently  to  set  out  from  Seville 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  continued  his  journey  to  Barcelona 
in  the  early  days  of  April. 

Owing  to  the  distance  between  the  two  cities  and  the  slow 
rate  at  which  he  was  obliged  to  travel,  it  was  not  until  to 
wards  the  end  of  the  month  that  the  Admiral  reached  the 
royal  Court.  Here  he  was  welcomed  by  a  great  gather 
ing  of  the  attendants  upon  their  Majesties,  bent  upon  con 
veniently  forgetting  their  former  treatment  of  the  "  Genoese 
adventurer."  To  all  alike  he  showed  himself  as  oblivious 
as  themselves  of  the  awkward  past ;  but  it  was  only  in  the 
society  of  his  tried  and  proven  friends,  Fray  Diego  de 
Deza,  Luiz  de  Santangel,  Alonzo  de  Quintanilla,  and  the 
few  others  who,  like  these,  had  been  steadfast  in  their 
support  when  friendship  cost  an  effort  and  was  of  corre 
sponding  value,  that  he  threw  off  his  reserve  and  spoke 
freely  of  his  work  already  done  and  that  which  remained 
for  him  to  do. 

He  had  barely  entered  the  city  when  he  received  a 
summons  to  repair  at  once  to  the  royal  presence.  Enter 
ing  the  audience-chamber,  which  was  filled  with  the  glit 
tering  array  of  grandees  and  courtiers,  soldiers  and 
prelates,  which  formed  the  brilliant  Court  of  Spain,  the 
Admiral  advanced,  we  are  told,  "  with  the  air  of  a  Senator 
of  Rome,"  through  this  resplendent  company  intending  to 
beg  permission  to  kiss  the  royal  hands.  Then  occurred  a 
miracle  as  startling  and  notable  as  any  he  had  so  devoutly 


HIGH  NOON  AND   THE    TIDE  AT  FLOOD.      327 

noted  in  all  the  history  of  that  eventful  undertaking.  As 
he  bowed  low  before  the  dais  whereon  were  set  the  equal 
thrones  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  the  king  and  queen  rose 
from  their  thrones  and  stood  to  receive  their  Admiral !  The 
proudest  and  most  ceremonious  of  Christian  monarchs  of 
fered  princely  honors  to  the  man  to  whom  for  seven  years 
they  had  doled  out  a  few  ducats  at  a  time,  and  who  had 
served  as  a  laughing-stock  for  many  a  one  of  the  bewildered 
courtiers  who  were  now  watching  in  open-eyed  amazement 
this  unheard-of  mark  of  condescension.  Extending  their 
hands  for  his  dutiful  salute,  the  king  raised  the  Admiral  from 
his  kneeling  posture  and,  directing  a  stool  of  ceremony  to 
be  brought,  bade  him  be  seated,  —  a  mark  of  honor  seldom 
shown  even  to  the  most  eminent  nobles.  Both  king  and 
queen  then  plied  him  with  mingled  thanks,  congratulations, 
and  inquiries,  with  a  frank  absence  of  all  formality  which 
plainly  showed  their  extreme  interest  both  in  the  man  him 
self  and  in  the  mighty  work  he  had  performed. 

After  that  the  sequel  was  foreordained.  The  Te  Deums 
in  the  chapel  royal ;  the  honors  heaped  upon  the  ex-adven 
turer  and  present  hero ;  the  vast  excitement  and  enthusiasm 
which  spread  through  the  circles  of  the  Court  at  the  sight  of 
the  raw  gold,  rare  drugs,  strange  fruits,  and  other  evidences 
of  the  abounding  wealth  and  fertility  of  the  new  lands,  — all 
these  were  matters  of  course  in  comparison  with  that  first  act 
of  crowning  condescension.  Ferdinand  of  Aragon  and  Isa 
bella  of  Castile  had  risen  to  receive  Crist6val  Colon  !  The 
cranium  of  the  average  Spanish  courtier  in  the  year  of  Grace 
fourteen  hundred  and  ninety-three  could  not  hold  any  other 
impression  while  that  phenomenon  filled  his  mind.  Acting 
on  the  unmistakable  example  set  them  by  their  kings,  with 
one  accord  the  ready  placemen  vied  with  one  another  in 
heaping  honors  upon  the  great  discoverer  whom  they  them 
selves  had  just  discovered ;  but  the  greater  nobles  —  the 
grandees  proper  —  still  held  haughtily  aloof  from  other 
than  formal  intercourse  with  the  parvenu  thus  suddenly 
thrust  upon  them.  Yet  it  was  from  that  one  of  their  Order, 
so  pre-eminently  high  in  rank  and  powerful  in  authority  that 
he  was  called  "  the  third  king,"  that  the  nobility  of  Castile 


328   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

learned  that  Genius,  as  well  as  Death  and  Misery,  ignores  all 
factitious  distinctions.  One  day,  soon  after  Colon's  arrival 
at  the  Court,  as  Pedro  de  Mendoza,  Grand  Cardinal  of  Spain, 
was  leaving  the  palace,  he  encountered  the  Admiral  and  asked 
him  to  dine.  At  his  kindly  solicitation  Colon  went  with  the 
Cardinal  to  the  archiepiscopal  palace,  where  scarcely  less 
state  was  maintained  than  in  the  royal  saloons  proper.  The 
Cardinal  placed  his  guest  in  the  seat  of  honor  next  himself, 
ordered  that  the  dishes  should  be  served  to  him  covered, 
and  saluted  him  with  the  salva,  or  greeting  of  ceremony,  as 
the  person  of  greatest  distinction  present.  "Thereafter," 
we  are  dryly  informed,  "  the  Admiral  was  always  served  with 
covered  dishes,  and  treated  with  the  consideration  and  for 
mality  befitting  his  high  rank."  To  him  it  was  all  one,  now 
that  his  work  had  been  passed  upon  by  those  he  had  served 
so  faithfully,  In  the  past  he  had  been  neglected  because  he 
was  not  great  \  now  he  was  great  because  he  was  not  neg 
lected.  That  was  all. 

He  made  no  mistake  as  to  the  value  of  this  sudden 
homage.  Both  his  faith  in  Providence  and  his  distrust  of 
the  Court  remained  unchanged  until  his  dying  day,  and  the 
one  was  as  abundantly  justified  by  subsequent  events  as  the 
other  had  been  by  those  precedent.  He  wrote,  in  closing 
his  diary :  — 

"  This  voyage  has  marvellously  shown  to  me  that  without 
God's  will  it  is  vain  to  plan  or  attempt  anything,  and  this  can  be 
plainly  seen  both  in  this  record  from  the  many  singular  mira 
cles  which  He  has  done  and  from  my  own  life,  who  so  long  a 
time  was  at  your  Highnesses'  Court  combating  the  opposition 
and  disfavor  of  so  many  of  the  principal  persons  of  your  house 
hold;  all  of  whom  set  themselves  against  me,  saying  that  this 
deed,  which  now  is  done,  was  but  a  piece  of  folly.  And  yet  I 
believe  that,  with  the  blessing  of  our  Lord,  it  shall  nevertheless 
prove  the  greatest  glory  that  has  thus  far  ever  been  vouchsafed." 

"  These  are  the  final  words,"  certifies  Las  Casas  of  the 
quotation  just  made,  "  of  the  Admiral  Don  Crist6val  Colon 
concerning  his  first  voyage  to  the  Indies  and  to  the  dis 
covery  thereof." 


XXVI. 
AFTERWARD. 

THE  Admiral  remained  at  Barcelona  until  the  3Oth  of 
May.  What  with  the  settlement  of  his  accounts,  the 
completion  of  his  records  and  charts,  and  the  preparations 
for  the  return  to  Hispaniola,  both  days  and  nights  were  con 
sumed  in  constant  labor.  Scarcely  a  day  passed  that  he 
was  not  at  the  palace  in  close  consultation  with  the  sov 
ereigns.  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  had  thrown  themselves 
with  extraordinary  ardor  into  all  his  plans ;  it  was  enough 
for  him  to  propose  a  measure,  and  instantly  a  decree  was 
issued  for  its  accomplishment.  The  second  expedition  was 
to  consist  of  a  score  of  vessels.  Twelve  hundred  men  were 
to  be  under  the  Admiral's  orders,  including  all  the  best  sea 
men  of  the  kingdom.  In  this  number  were  also  men-at- 
arms,  both  foot  and  horse,  a  large  party  of  civil  officers  and 
adjutants,  a  detachment  of  miners,  another  of  artisans  and 
agricultural  laborers,  and  a  dozen  priests.  Nothing  was  to 
be  left  undone  to  provide  for  the  colonization  and  proper 
government  of  the  lands  already  discovered,  and  hasten  the 
exploration  of  the  remaining  coasts  and  islands  of  the  Indies. 
Horses,  cattle,  and  seeds  were  to  be  taken  in  ample  quanti 
ties  to  secure  their  establishment  on  the  fertile  soil  of  the 
western  world,  and  immense  stores  of  provisions  and  ammu 
nition  for  the  supply  of  the  colonies  to  be  planted  and  the 
expeditions  to  be  conducted  throughout  the  newly  opened 
regions.  Who  spoke  now  of  excessive  cost  or  doubtful 
returns  ?  The  treasurers  of  the  Crown  were  directed  to  pay 


330      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

the  expenses  of  the  armament  without  stint ;  for  were  not 
one  half  of  the  ships  to  unload  on  reaching  Hispaniola  and 
be  freighted  with  the  gold  and  spices,  the  rhubarb,  cinna 
mon,  aloes,  dyewoods,  cotton,  and  pungent  peppers  accumu 
lated,  in  their  leader's  absence,  by  the  industrious  garrison 
left  behind  at  Navidad?  There  was  no  cause  in  this  case 
for  reading  of  harsh  orders  in  parish  churches,  and  holding 
village  authorities  responsible  for  the  enlistment  of  unwilling 
men.  Rather  the  difficulty  was  to  choose  from  the  multi 
tude  of  applicants  who  —  men  of  birth  and  rank  and  those 
with  neither — jostled  one  another  in  their  efforts  to  gain 
the  Admiral's  favor  and  be  elected  by  him  to  join  the  new 
crusade.  Where  he  had  made  one  enemy  before  by  having 
to  seize  on  ships  and  impress  men,  he  made  ten  now  by 
having  to  refuse  the  offers  of  those  who  volunteered.  Don 
Crist6val  Colon,  Admiral  of  the  Ocean  Sea  and  Viceroy  of 
the  Indies,  was  a  power  in  those  days. 

Nor  was  a  merely  local  fame  his  only  reward.  Both  from 
Lisbon  and  from  Seville  the  news  had  spread  through  Eu 
rope  that  the  Spanish  navigator  had  broken  the  bonds  of 
Ocean,  as  Seneca  had  prophesied  in  Nero's  time,  and  found 
that  the  western  sea  was  no  longer  the  Sea  of  Darkness,  but 
the  highway  to  an  unknown  world  (presumably  Asia)  teeming 
with  wealth  and  riches.  Bartholom£  Colon,  the  Admiral's 
brother,  had  long  been  in  England,  soliciting  the  same  aid 
from  Henry  VII.  which  the  Admiral  himself  had  for  so  many 
years  sought  in  vain  from  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  He  had 
not  learned  of  his  brother's  final  success  or  of  his  departure 
on  his  voyage  of  discovery ;  but  now,  himself  successful  in 
his  application,  as  he  hastened  to  Spain  to  communicate  to 
Crist6val  the  welcome  news  that  the  English  Crown  would 
furnish  the  means  for  their  projected  enterprise,  he  heard 
with  astonishment  on  reaching  Paris  that  his  brother  had 
sailed,  had  found  the  world  he  looked  for,  and  was  again  at 
the  Spanish  Court,  —  a  famous  and  renowned  man.  The 
pens  of  the  men  of  learning  in  Spain  and  Portugal  published 
the  great  achievement  far  and  wide.  "  Columbus  has  re 
turned  from  the  western  antipodes,"  wrote  one.  "  He  bring.* 


AFTERWARD.  331 

gold  and  cotton,  dyewoods,  and  pepper  keener  than  that  of 
Asia.  He  followed  the  sun's  course  for  more  than  a  thou 
sand  leagues,  and  discovered  six  islands,  of  which  the  largest 
exceeds  all  Spain  in  size."  "  Christopher  Columbus  has 
reached  Lisbon,"  wrote  another,  "  fr6m  the  voyage  he  made 
for  the  sovereigns  of  Castile  to  the  islands  of  Cipango  and 
Antilia.  He  brings  with  him  some  of  the  people  of  those 
countries  and  specimens  of  the  gold  and  other  productions, 
and  has  been  made  Admiral  of  those  seas."  It  was  not 
long  after  his  arrival  at  Barcelona  when  a  garbled  version 
of  one  of  his  letters  relating  his  discovery  was  printed  at 
Rome  in  Latin,  and  circulated  widely  through  the  civilized 
world ;  and  it  is  worth  remarking  that  a  copy  of  this  famous 
product  of  the  early  press  will  now  bring  in  the  hemisphere 
discovered  by  its  author  a  sum  equal  to  one  third  of  the 
total  cost  of  finding  the  western  world. 

But  what  must  have  been  the  praise  of  sweetest  savor  to 
the  pious  mind  of  the  Admiral  was  that  the  Holy  Father  him 
self —  that  Alexander  the  Sixth,  who  to  us  is  best  known  as 
a  Borgia  worthy  of  the  name,  but  who  to  Colon  was  Head  of 
the  Church  and  Vicar  of  Christ  on  earth  —  proclaimed 
throughout  Christendom  his  apostolic  approbation  of  Colon's 
work.  "  Our  beloved  son  Christopher  Columbus,"  so  ran 
the  words  of  the  successor  of  Saint  Peter,  "  a  man  fit  and  well 
chosen  for  so  great  an  undertaking,  and  worthy  to  be  held 
in  high  honor,  has  with  ships  and  people  suitable  for  the 
purpose,  but  not  without  enormous  labors,  cost,  and  dangers, 
sought  by  the  Ocean  those  continents  and  islands  which  have 
hitherto  been  remote  and  unknown,  and,  where  no  man  had 
before  navigated,  has,  by  Divine  favor,  found  them  after 
much  sacrifice.  In  the  which  lands,  according  to  the  re 
ports,  live  many  nations  who  dwell  together  in  peace  and 
go  naked  and  know  not  how  to  eat  meat."  The  Bull  in 
which  the  Pope  thus  dilated  upon  the  merits  and  deeds  of 
the  Admiral  was  dated  at  Rome  on  May  the  second,  only 
six  weeks  after  the  "  Nina's"  arrival  at  Palos,  and  is  an  in 
teresting  evidence  of  the  quickness  with  which  the  Spanish 
Crown  grasped  the  vast  importance  of  the  outcome  of  the 


332      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

enterprise  to  which  they  had  so  tardily  given  an  insufficient 
support.  No  sooner  had  Ferdinand  received  the  first  an 
nouncement  from  the  Admiral  than  he  despatched  an  envoy 
post  haste  to  the  Vatican  to  secure  from  his  Holiness  — 
as  presumable  guardian  for  the  Almighty  of  all  the  earth's 
surface  not  already  appropriated  by  alleged  followers  of  the 
Cross  —  a  pontifical  decree  awarding  to  Spain  whatever  ter 
ritories  might  lie  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  For 
value  received  (for  the  waters  were  rough  around  the  Fisher 
man's  craft  just  then),  the  Servant  of  the  Servants  of  God 
agreed  to  do  this  ;  and  this  singular  Bull,  in  which  he  handed 
over  to  the  sovereigns  of  Castile  a  third  of  the  habitable 
globe,  was  the  result.  What  is  still  more  strange  is  that 
although  neither  Pope  nor  monarch  had  any  more  title  to 
these  countries  — of  whose  very  existence  they  knew  nothing 
—  than  the  author  has  to  the  reader's  watch,  this  award  of 
a  mighty  continent  was  acquiesced  in  and  respected  for 
centuries  by  the  obsequious  potentates  most  interested  in 
foiling  one  another's  plans.  The  same  princes  were  wont 
to  gird  at  one  another  over  the  flimsiest  trifles,  and  would 
cheerfully  ruin  every  subject  in  their  kingdoms  in  a  war 
about  the  ownership  of  half-a-dozen  hovels  anywhere  in 
Europe ;  but  they  did  not  dispute  the  Vatican's  power  to 
do  as  it  pleased  with  what  had  no  owners  whom  anybody 
feared.1 

Besides  the  renown  to  which  he  was  so  pre-eminently 
entitled,  the  Admiral  received  from  Ferdinand  and  Isabella 
many  substantial  proofs  of  their  consideration  and  gratitude. 
Letters-patent  were  issued  confirming  to  him  and  to  his 
heirs  the  dignities  and  emoluments  which  had  been  granted 
the  previous  year  on  condition  of  his  finding  the  lands 
beyond  the  sea.  Another  royal  decree  gave  him  a  new  and 
honorable  coat  of  arms  symbolical  of  the  great  enterprise  he 

1  If  there  is  a  limbo  where  departed  heathen  foregather,  there  must 
have  been  some  interesting  exchanges  of  experience  in  late  years  be 
tween  the  shades  of  the  aboriginal  Americans  and  those  who  arrived 
more  recently  from  equatorial  Africa.  The  ghostly  representatives  of 
each  savage  race  must  have  been  puzzled  to  hear  the  others  explain 
how  they  got  there  in  the  cause  of  Christianity! 


AFTERWARD.  333 

had  so  successfully  concluded.1  Others  still  allowed  him  to 
appoint  the  officials  and  authorities  for  the  government  of 
the  Indies ;  permitted  him  the  use  of  the  royal  seal  and  the 
right  to  employ  the  royal  names  in  his  proclamations  and 
laws ;  and  prohibited  any  voyage  to  or  traffic  with  the  newly 
opened  regions  except  by  his  special  permission  or  that  of 
the  Crown.  In  addition  to  decreeing  that  whenever  he 
should  travel  he  and  his  retinue  should  be  served  at  the  cost 
of  the  royal  treasury,  the  sovereigns  also  settled  upon  the 
Admiral  the  pension  of  ten  thousand  maravedies  for  first 
seeing  land,  which  has  already  been  mentioned,  and  ordered 
their  treasurer  to  pay  him  in  one  sum  a  merced,  or  bounty, 
of  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  maravedies. 
This  latter  amount  was  equal  to  one  fourth  of  the  whole 
outlay  on  the  first  voyage,  and,  though  we  have  been  able 
to  find  no  record  of  its  disposition  by  Colon,  it  is  probable 
that  it  was  solicited  and  used  for  the  repayment  of  the  funds 
advanced  by  the  Pinzons  when  the  million  of  maravedies 
furnished  by  the  Crown  proved  insufficient  for  the  equipment 
of  the  expedition. 

So  urgent  was  the  haste  and  so  energetic  the  measures 
adopted  for  the  despatch  of  the  second  fleet,  that  within 
six  months  after  the  solitary  "Nina"  crossed  the  bar  of 
Saltes  the  imposing  array  of  crowded  vessels  was  ready  to 
sail.  Throughout  this  period  there  had  been  a  constant 
fencing  with  the  Portuguese  king,  who  endeavored  to  im 
pede  by  all  available  means  the  departure  of  the  Spanish 
armament.  The  Court  itself  was  so  filled  with  unfaithful 
servants  retained  as  spies  by  Portuguese  bribes,  that  Queen 
Isabella  was  obliged  to  excuse  herself  to  the  Admiral  for 
retaining  so  long  the  diary  he  had  left  with  her  Majesty  to 
be  copied,  "  because  it  had  to  be  written  in  secret,  so  that 

1  These  were  granted  on  May  20,  1493.  They  were :  in  the  upper 
right-hand  field  a  golden  castle  on  a  green  ground  ;  beneath  it  a  group 
of  golden  islands  in  a  blue  sea ;  in  the  upper  left-hand  field  a  purple 
lion  on  a  white  ground ;  beneath  it  Colon's  own  arms,  five  golden 
anchors  on  a  blue  ground.  "  There  are  not  many  handsomer  es 
cutcheons  in  all  Spain,"  remarks  Las  Casas,  with  a  complacency  which 
does  honor  to  his  friendship  for  the  great  sailor. 


334      WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

those  of  Portugal  who  are  here,  or  any  one  else,  should  not 
know  its  contents.  For  this  reason,"  she  added,  "  and  to 
finish  it  the  more  quickly,  it  has  been  copied  by  two  per 
sons,  as  you  will  perceive."  Notwithstanding  all  these 
intrigues  and  the  peculiarly  dilatory  methods  of  Castilian 
administration,  the  preparations  were  completed  and  the 
ships  all  ready  within  the  comparatively  short  time  named. 
On  the  25th  of  September  the  Admiral  went  on  board  his 
flagship,  the  "  Maria  Galante,"  in  the  port  of  Cadiz,  and  at 
the  head  of  the  seventeen  vessels  which  composed  his  fleet 
stood  out  to  sea  bound  for  Hispaniola.  He  had  been  just  six 
months  and  ten  days  in  Spain,  and  in  that  time  attained  the 
very  summit  of  such  power  and  glory  as  the  world  had  to  offer 
to  one  not  to  the  purple  born.  Ere  next  he  saw  the  shores 
of  Andalusia  he  was  to  know  how  hard  it  is  to  maintain  one 
self  at  so  giddy  an  elevation  above  the  dead  level  of  envy 
and  detraction  which  the  mass  of  weak  humanity  maintains. 

With  the  events  of  this  second  cruise  we  have  not  here 
to  deal.  It  is  grateful  to  leave  the  high-souled,  hopeful, 
and  intrepid  sailor  pursuing  an  even  course  in  the  van  of  so 
worthy  an  armada  toward  the  new  world  he  had  found, 
while  the  older  lands  he  was  hourly  leaving  more  distant 
still  resounded  with  the  fame  of  his  great  deeds. 

Of  the  companions  of  his  first  adventurous  journey,  there  is 
both  good  and  evil  to  be  told.  The  letter  sent  to  the  Spanish 
sovereigns  by  Martin  Alonzo  from  Bayonne,  unfortunately 
for  him,  reached  their  Majesties  after  they  had  received  the 
Admiral's  announcement  of  his  own  arrival.  They  thereupon 
sent  a  brief  reply  to  the  "  Pinta's  "  captain,  saying  that  as 
the  Admiral  was  in  command  of  the  expedition,  they  could 
only  receive  Martin  Alonzo  when  presented  by  his  leader, 
—  a  blow  which  so  aggravated  the  mortification  of  the  un 
happy  man  that  he  died  at  his  home  in  Palos  while  Colon 
was  making  his  triumphal  progress  to  Barcelona.  Vicente 
Yanez,  as  we  have  seen,  became  a  mighty  man  of  the  sea, 
and  lived  to  a  green  old  age,  distinguished  by  many  marks 
of  his  sovereign's  favor,  and  contributing  some  of  the  most 
brilliant  pages  to  the  glorious  history  of  Spanish  navigation. 


AFTERWARD.  335 

Arias  Perez,  Martin  Alonzo's  son,  lived  for  thirty  years  after 
his  father's  death,  ever  keen  to  belittle  the  Admiral's  fame 
and  to  claim  for  his  own  house  the  chief  glory  of  discover 
ing  the  Indies.  We  find  some  light  thrown  on  his  character 
by  a  petition  he  made  to  the  king  and  queen  in  1500,  com 
plaining  that  since  his  father's  death  his  four  brothers  had 
left  their  weak-minded  sister  on  his  hands  to  take  care  of; 
"  the  which,"  he  pathetically  remarks,  "  causes  me  great 
annoyance  and  trouble."  The  good  father  superior,  Fray 
Juan  Antonio  Perez,  of  Marchena,  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  the  nephew  he  had  sent  with  the  Admiral  on  the 
latter's  first  voyage,  but  lived  to  the  close  of  a  long  life  of 
honor  and  usefulness.  We  would  gladly  know  more  of  this 
attractive  personality,  but  the  records  are  silent  regarding 
him.  Scanty  as  is  our  knowledge,  his  name  should  be 
printed  in  larger  letters  than  hitherto  in  the  history  of  the 
hemisphere  he  helped  so  effectively  to  find.  Garcia  Fer 
nandez  was  also  a  man  of  many  years  when  he  died ;  for, 
twenty-five  years  after  the  memorable  conference  in  the 
convent  of  La  Rabida,  he  did  yeoman's  service  in  breaking 
down  the  attempt  of  the  Pinzons  to  cloud  the  dead  Ad 
miral's  fame.  He  also  had  yielded  meantime  to  the  impulse 
of  his  heart,  and  gone  to  visit  the  marvellous  countries  his 
friend  had  found  ;  and  it  is  in  his  report,  as  royal  notary  on 
the  spot,  that  we  read  of  the  first  discovery  of  Brazil  and 
the  Amazon  in  1499.  Juan  Rodriguez  Cabezudo  was  a  pretty 
old  man  in  1513  ;  but  he  came  down  to  the  royal  commis 
sion  when  they  were  taking  testimony  as  to  whom  belonged 
the  credit  of  finding  the  lands  beyond  the  sea,  and  gave  his 
evidence  in  behalf  of  his  dead  "  Master."  Stiff-necked  as 
ever,  he  swore  to  all  that  occurred  at  the  time  of  Colon's 
first  coming  to  La  Rabida,  and  laid  no  little  stress  on  his 
having  loaned  his  mule  to  the  great  navigator  when  he 
wanted  her  for  his  Reverence  the  Father  Superior.  "  And 
I  know,"  he  insisted  on  saying  in  his  own  stubborn  way, 
"that  the  Admiral  set  out  from  this  town  of  Palos  in  ninety 
two  to  discover  the  Indies,  and  returned  to  this  same  port, 
safe  and  sound,  after  finding  them ;  because  the  Senor  Ad- 


336   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

miral  himself  told  me  he  had  found  many  islands  in  the 
Indies,  and  showed  me  six  or  seven  Indians  he  had  brought 
from  there,  and  pieces  of  gold  and  golden  masks  ;  for  he  said 
that  there  was  a  plenty  of  gold  there.  And  many  others 
heard  him  besides  myself,"  he  concluded,  with  a  hit  at 
some  of  the  hard  swearers  of  the  Pinzon  connection.  The 
old  seaman's  quondam  charge,  Diego  Colon,  accompanied 
his  father  on  his  second  voyage,  and  assisted  him  ably  until 
the  Admiral's  death.  He  then  engaged  in  the  long  strug 
gle  with  the  Spanish  Crown  for  the  dignities  and  profits  to 
which  he  was  entitled  as  his  father's  heir,  and  after  a  con 
test  worthy  of  the  elder  Colon's  persevering  courage,  won 
the  recognition  of  his  claim,  and  became  Viceroy  over  all 
the  lands  discovered  by  the  Admiral.  Diego  Prieto,  of  ob 
structive  memory,  appears  to  have  continued  in  his  efforts 
to  carry  water  on  both  shoulders,  for  we  find  him  in  after 
years  condemned  for  stealing  one  of  the  Indian  captives 
brought  back  to  Spain  by  his  kinsman,  Vicente  Yafiez,  from 
one  of  his  western  voyages. 

Of  the  pilots  and  seamen  who  had  shared  in  the  finding  of 
Guanahani,  many  attained  to  their  full  share  of  the  glory  at 
tendant  upon  the  exploit.  Several  of  the  former  accom 
panied  the  Admiral  on  his  subsequent  expeditions;  while 
others  undertook  voyages  of  their  own  in  search  of  terra 
firma,  or  of  a  shorter  route  to  the  famed  Cathay  that  still 
remained  so  far.  Many  of  the  sailors  became  pilots  in  turn, 
and  guided  other  ships  through  the  waters  of  the  Caribbean 
Sea  and  the  Sinus  Mexicanus  up  to  the  times  of  Cortes  and 
Pizarro.  Others  we  find,  plain  seamen  yet,  sailing  with 
Ferdinand  de  Magellanes  on  his  immortal  cruise  around 
the  world.  Before  the  days  of  newspapers  it  was  no  such 
mighty  thing,  apparently,  for  a  man  to  take  part  in  the  dis 
covery  of  the  western  world  and  afterward  join  the  ships 
which  circled  the  whole  globe  for  the  first  time.  At  least 
we  find  no  special  mention  made  of  these  doughty  Juans 
and  Antonios  in  the  history  of  their  times,  and  only  know 
of  their  adventures  from  the  incidental  mention  of  their 
names  in  ship-list  or  the  roll  of  dead.  The  Indians  who 


AFTERWARD.  337 

arrived  in  Spain  on  the  "  Nina  "  and  the  "  Pinta  "  were  all 
baptized,  with  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  as  their  sponsors. 
After  that  they  died  off  rapidly,  and  went  to  the  Christians' 
heaven,  no  doubt.  One  only  reached  his  native  shores  again, 
to  delude  his  unsophisticated  countrymen  into  trusting  their 
bearded  visitors.  We  have  alluded  already  to  the  fate  of  the 
devoted  men  left  to  garrison  the  fort  at  Navidad.  Neither 
governor  nor  tailor,  Irishman  nor  Basque,  lived  to  tell  the 
tale  of  how  the  rest  had  met  their  death  in  that  ill-fated 
outpost  of  an  unworthy  civilization.  If  what  Guacanagari 
and  his  people  related  to  the  Admiral  when  he  landed  to 
visit  the  ruined  settlement  was  true,  even  Charity  herself 
cannot  deny  that  they  deserved  their  doom. 

As  for  the  Admiral  himself,  we  can  best  read  his  charac 
ter  from  his  own  words,  penned  from  day  to  day  amid  the 
trials  of  his  outward  voyage  and  the  triumphs  of  his  first 
hours  of  success ;  on  the  summer  seas  of  the  long-sought 
Indies  and  the  boisterous  waters  of  the  Atlantic  at  its  wild 
est  ;  among  the  exquisite  delights  of  those  noble  scenes  he 
opened  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  fellow-men,  and  in  the  hur 
ried  confusion  of  sudden  shipwreck.  Whether  dealing  with 
a  nameless  savage  or  measuring  phrases  with  Portugal's  King, 
whether  writing  his  report  to  his  distant  sovereigns  or  chat 
ting  with  his  men  over  their  strange  surroundings,  we  find 
him  ever  the  same,  —  direct,  simple-minded,  trustful,  fear 
less.  If  he,  a  man  of  the  people,  had  what  we  (who  have 
none  such  !)  call  the  vices  of  his  times,  he  also  possessed  vir 
tues  which  seem  to  have  grown  rarer  as  time  has  passed.  He 
was  loyal  to  his  friends,  over-generous  to  his  foes,  and  what 
he  promised  he  performed.  Among  other  things,  he  pledged 
himself  to  prove  that  there  was  another  side  to  the  world, 
and  he  did  it.  His  minor  inconsistencies  might  be  set  aside 
in  view  of  that  performance.  In  after  years  he  met  with 
bitter  disappointment,  rank  ingratitude,  and  unmerited  in 
dignities;  but  in  this  he  was  not  wholly  a  martyr.  A 
matchless  seaman  and  intrepid  explorer,  he  gave  at  no 
time  any  evidence  of  superior  executive  talent.  In  under 
taking  to  colonize  and  govern  the  territories  he  discovered, 

22 


338   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

while  continuing  at  the  same  time  his  more  remote  investi 
gations,  he  was  attempting  a  task  far  beyond  his  powers,  — 
perhaps  beyond  those  of  any  one  man,  considering  the 
instruments  then  available.  The  misconstructions  and  dis 
putes  which  arose  naturally  enough  with  a  jealous  Crown, 
when  we  consider  the  vast  and  undefined  nature  of  the 
authority  intrusted  to  him,  were  fanned  and  distorted  by 
the  active  efforts  of  envious  and  malicious  courtiers.  That 
he  suffered  gross  injustice  is  beyond  dispute ;  that  it  was 
intentional  and  foreplanned  by  either  Isabella  or  Ferdinand, 
we  do  not  believe.  The  absent  were  ever  wrong,  and  the 
great  Admiral  was  no  exception  to  the  ancient  rule.  A 
Governor  and  Viceroy  for  the  Spanish  Crown,  with  one 
breath  he  held  out  hopes  of  obtaining  untold  riches,  and 
with  the  next  talked  of  seeking  the  earthly  Paradise  with 
three  or  four  teredo-eaten  ships.  In  one  letter  he  proposed 
to  find  tons  upon  tons  of  virgin  gold,  and  soon  after  had  to 
report  that  his  own  followers  would  not  allow  him  access 
to  the  mines.  It  is  not  strange  that  his  sovereigns  should 
have  found  it  necessary  to  establish  a  stronger  and  more 
systematic  government  than  his  in  the  immense  dominions 
the  Admiral  had  brought  under  their  control.  That  they 
pursued  a  considerate  or  magnanimous  course  in  providing 
this,  no  one  will  affirm ;  but  they  hastened  to  make  him 
ample  amends  for  the  severity  of  their  servants  as  soon  as 
they  knew  the  outrages  inflicted  on  the  man  they  seemed 
sincerely  delighted  to  honor.  The  Admiral's  claims  were 
somewhat  of  the  broadest,  and  that  they  were  not  immedi 
ately  liquidated  is  not  to  be  wholly  wondered  at.  That  he 
died  in  poverty  and  distress  is  not  to  be  credited,  unless  we 
mean  by  "  poverty  "  that  he  did  not  die  possessed  of  the 
fabulous  wealth  he  looked  for  from  the  Indies,  —  not  for  his 
own  aggrandizement,  be  it  ever  borne  in  mind.  The  alter 
cations  between  himself  and  the  fiscal  officers  of  the  Crown 
regarding  his  portion  in  the  products  of  his  discoveries  are 
by  no  means  all  one-sided ;  and  while  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  influential  enemies  threw  every  obstacle  in  his  way,  his 
impetuous  temperament  and  quick  sensibilities  often  inter- 


AFTERWARD.  339 

preted  as  intentional  indifference  what  may  well  have  been 
only  the  needful  caution  of  sluggard  officials  in  dealing  with 
unauthenticated  demands.  The  Admiral  himself  was  not 
remarkable  for  financial  method.  We  find  repeated  in 
stances  in  the  formal  records  of  those  years  of  gifts  and 
bounties  to  the  great  explorer ;  of  the  constant  payment  of 
considerable  pensions  to  his  sons  and  brothers,  and  of  large 
sums  due  by  him  as  his  contribution  to  the  "  eighth  "  ex 
cused  and  released  by  the  Crown.  We  think  it  wholly  prob 
able  that  had  an  exact  balance  been  struck  between  the 
expenses  paid  by  Spain  for  all  her  ventures  concerning  the 
Indies  and  the  actual  money  value  of  the  gold  and  other 
products  received  during  Colon's  lifetime,  there  would 
have  been  but  little  for  him  to  collect  his  share  upon.  In 
his  own  will,  written  on  his  death -bed,  he  admits  that  the 
Indies  had  thus  far  furnished  no  revenue  commensurate 
with  the  outlays  made ;  and  he  disposes,  in  advance,  of  the 
great  sums  he  expected  the  future  to  produce.  True,  he 
ascribes  the  absence  of  such  returns  to  the  mismanagement 
of  others,  and  there  was  much  force  in  his  contention  ;  but 
we  must  remember  that  the  Indies  were  "  golden  "  to  him 
until  his  latest  breath,  and  he  failed  to  recognize  the  amount 
of  time  and  systematic  toil  required  to  derive  a  fixed  and 
adequate  income  from  a  region  thinly  populated  by  savages, 
however  fertile  and  abundant  it  was  in  valuable  products. 
In  saying,  in  the  last  year  of  his  life,  that  he  "  had  not  a 
roof  he  could  call  his  own,"  and  that  he  "  lived  on  borrowed 
money,"  we  do  not  assume  that  he  was  in  absolute  penury. 
His  expenses  were  necessarily  large  to  sustain  the  dignity  he 
thought  was  becoming ;  but  he  found  no  difficulty  in  secur 
ing  whatever  funds  he  required,  pending  remittances  from 
Hispaniola.  His  grievances,  indeed,  —  real  though  they 
undoubtedly  were,  —  seem  rather  the  wounds  done  to  a. 
proud  and  sensitive  spirit,  than  any  actual  hardships  suffered 
in  the  flesh.  He  had  his  full  share  of  the  latter  in  the 
course  of  his  adventurous  life ;  but  of  these  he  makes  little 
moan.  We  do  not  intimate  that  the  services  of  their  Ad 
miral  were  open  to  commercial  valuation  by  the  sovereigns 


34-O   WITH  THE  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  OCEAN  SEA. 

of  Spain,  or  that  they  themselves  so  believed ;  but  this  aspect 
of  his  relations  to  the  Crown  was  unavoidable,  and  much  of 
his  correspondence  turns  upon  the  fulfilment  of  the  contracts 
made  with  him.  So  long  as  Queen  Isabella  was  alive,  we 
find  both  her  and  the  king  dealing  generously  with  the 
claims  advanced  by  Colon.  Unfortunately  for  the  latter, 
his  royal  benefactress  died  just  as  he  arrived  in  Spain  from 
his  last  and  most  disastrous  voyage,  and  the  surviving  mon 
arch  cared  not  to  be  worried  with  the  importunities  of  one 
of  his  officers,  even  if  that  officer  was  of  all  the  most  dis 
tinguished.  Ferdinand  had  other  irons  in  the  forge  much 
nearer  to  his  hand  than  the  farther  side  of  the  Ocean  Sea. 
Like  a  prudent  king,  he  had  abundant  control  of  the  senti 
mental  side  of  his  nature,  and  so  he  deferred  the  consider 
ation  of  Colon's  petitions  to  a  more  convenient  season. 
"  Ferdinand  enters  into  an  enterprise  with  enthusiasm,  and 
concludes  as  chance  or  necessity  dictates ;  nor  has  he  hith 
erto  had  reason  to  complain  either  of  Fortune  or  his  resolu 
tions."  Such  was  the  opinion  of  a  man  who  knew  him  well, 
—  one  Niccolo  Machiavelli,  of  undeservedly  mal-odorous 
renown.  In  Colon's  case  the  king  simply  followed  the  dic 
tates  of  his  nature.  By  the  time  he  was  prepared  to  give  heed 
to  his  Admiral's  representations,  Cristdval  Colon  had  said  his 
In  manus  tuas,  and  been  gathered  to  his  obscure  fathers. 

Whatever  were  his  mistakes  and  short-comings,  Colon 
was  neither  a  visionary  nor  an  imbecile.  Had  he  been  per 
fect  in  all  things  and  wise  to  the  point  of  infallibility,  we 
could  not  have  claimed  him  as  the  glorious  credit  he  was  to 
the  common  humanity  to  which  we  all  belong.  His  great 
ness  was  sufficient  to  cover  with  its  mantle  far  more  of  the 
weaknesses  of  frail  mortality  than  he  had  to  draw  under  its 
protection ;  and  it  becomes  us  who  attempt  to  analyze  his  life 
in  these  later  days,  to  bear  in  mind  that,  had  his  lot  befallen 
ourselves,  the  natives  of  the  western  world  would  still,  be 
yond  a  peradventure,  be  wandering  in  undraped  peace 
through  their  tangled  woods,  and  remain  forever  ignorant  of 
the  art  of  eating  meat.  In  his  trials  and  distresses  the  Ad 
miral  encountered  only  the  portion  of  the  sons  of  Adam ; 


AFTERWARD.  341 

but  to  him  was  also  given,  as  to  few  before  or  since,  to  say, 
with  the  nameless  shepherd  of  Tempe's  classic  vale,  "  I,  too, 
have  lived  in  Arcady." 

Colon  did  not  merely  discover  the  New  World.  He 
spent  seven  years  and  one  month  among  the  islands  and 
on  the  coasts  of  the  hemisphere  now  called  after  the  ship- 
chandler  who  helped  to  outfit  his  later  expeditions.  For 
the  greater  part  of  that  time  he  was  under  the  constant 
burden  of  knowing  that  venomous  intrigue  and  misrepre 
sentation  were  doing  their  deadly  work  at  home  while  he 
did  what  he  believed  was  his  Heaven-imposed  duty  on  this 
side  the  Atlantic.  He  persisted  in  the  one,  but  he  would 
not  remain  silent  under  the  other.  What  he  wrote  to  one 
of  his  steadfast  friends  as  he  was  returning  in  chains  from 
the  new  world  he  had  given  to  Spain,  has  a  peculiar  appo- 
siteness,  now  that  his  name  and  deeds  are  on  all  men's 
tongues : — 

"  In  Spain  I  am  being  judged  as  though  I  were  a  Governor 
who  had  gone  to  Sicily,  or  to  some  city  or  town  which  is  under 
an  established  authority,  and  where  the  laws  can  be  enforced  in 
their  integrity,  without  fear  of  losing  all ;  and  in  this  I  receive  a 
grievous  wrong. 

"  I  ought  to  be  judged  as  a  Captain  who  has  come  from  Spain 
to  the  Indies  to  make  a  conquest  of  a  warlike  and  numerous 
people,  whose  habits  and  faith  were  wholly  different  from  ours  ; 
a  people  who  live  among  the  mountains  and  forests,  and  who 
have  no  fixed  habitations,  as  our  own  men  can  have  none. 
There,  by  the  Divine  favor,  I  have  placed  another  world  under 
the  dominion  of  the  King  and  Queen,  our  sovereigns,  whereby 
Spain,  which  was  before  called  poor,  has  now  become  the  richest 
of  all  the  nations." 

His  appeal  should  not  go  unheeded.  Humanity  at  large, 
as  well  as  the  Spain  he  served  so  faithfully,  was  infinitely 
enriched  by  the  labors  and  sacrifices  of  this  Genoese  Admiral 
of  Castile,  and  by  his  deeds  should  Humanity  judge  him. 
Not  Caesar  only  is  entitled  to  his  due. 


APPENDIX. 


NOTE   A. 

THE   BIRTHPLACE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

MUCH  controversy  has  waged  concerning  the  place  of  Co- 
lumbus's  nativity.  It  has  been  variously  assigned  to  the 
city  of  Genoa ;  to  several  of  the  lesser  towns  in  the  ancient  re 
public  of  that  name  ;  to  Florence,  Corsica,  and  even  to  England. 
But  the  declarations  made  by  Columbus  himself  in  the  course 
of  his  writing  should,  it  seems  to  us,  leave  no  ground  for 
reasonable  dLpute,  and  fix  the  city  of  Genoa  itself  as  the  spot 
where  he  first  saw  the  light. 

In  the  deed  of  entail,  or  testament  as  it  is  more  commonly 
called,  executed  by  the  Admiral  in  Seville  on  Thursday,  Feb. 
22,  1498,  and  confirmed  by  his  sovereigns  in  their  decree  of  Sept. 
28,  1 501,  he  specifically  says  that,  '•'•being  born  in  Genoa,  I  came 
to  serve  their  Majesties  here  in  Castile,"  etc.  Later  on,  in  the 
same  document,  he  directs  that  some  one  of  his  lineage  shall 
always  be  maintained  in  becoming  state  in  that  city,  "  as  though 
a  native  thereof,  .  .  .  since  from  it  I  started  out,  and  in  it  I  was 
born." 

Moreover,  during  his  lifetime  it  is  evident  that  no  doubt 
existed  that  Genoa  was  the  birthplace  of  the  great  navigator. 
Not  only  do  his  contemporaries  —  his  friend  Las  Casas,  his  son 
Ferdinand,  Sebastian  Cabot  (whom  some  would  call  his  rival),  the 
curate  of  Los  Palacios,  Peter  Martyr,  and  others  —  refer  to  him 
consistently  as  "  the  Genoese,"  but  the  Government  of  Genoa,  in 
the  persons  of  the  famous  magistracy  of  St.  George,  emphati 
cally  confirm  the  truth  of  the  general  supposition.  In  acknowl 
edging  to  Columbus,  under  date  of  Dec.  8,  1502,  the  receipt  of 
sundry  important  documents  remitted  by  him  to  them  through 


344  APPENDIX. 

Messer  Nicolo  Oderigo,  the  Republic's  ambassador  to  the  Spanish 
Court,  the  Seignory  state  that  this  action  of  Columbus  has  given 
them  "  exceptional  gratification,  evidencing  as  it  does  that  your 
Excellency  is,  as  your  character  would  imply,  devoted  to  this 
your  native  land  (guesta  sua  originaria  patria). "  Further  on, 
in  the  same  epistle,  they  refer  to  the  "generosity  and  benignity 
which  you  show  toward  this,  the  country  of  your  birth  (questa 
primogenita  pairta}."  Finally,  in  alluding  to  the  provisions  of 
the  deed  of  entail  above-mentioned,  the  Seignory  declare  :  "  We 
shall  ever  be  as  affectionately  inclined  toward  the  before-men 
tioned  Don  Diego,  your  illustrious  son,  as  the  very  condition  of 
his  being  your  son  demands,  as  well  as  the  pre-eminence  of  your 
own  deeds  and  glory,  of  which  our  common  country  claims  and 
cherishes  its  full  share."  The  whole  tone  of  this  interesting 
communication  is,  indeed,  that  of  the  chief-magistracy  of  a 
popular  government  endeavoring  to  appropriate  to  the  Common 
wealth  a  part  of  the  fame  achieved  by  one  of  its  distinguished 
sons. 

That  Columbus,  in  referring  to  Genoa,  alluded  to  the  city 
proper,  and  not  to  any  one  of  the  towns  situated  in  its  territory, 
is  obvious  from  the  distinction  made  by  him  in  the  deed  of  en 
tail.  The  fifth  "  Item  "  from  the  end  reads  thus :  "  I  also  enjoin 
my  son  Diego,  or  whomever  shall  enjoy  the  said  entail,  to  seek 
and  labor  always  for  the  honor,  well-being,  and  aggrandizement 
of  the  city  of  Genoa,  and  to  exert  all  his  powers  and  resources 
in  defending  and  increasing  the  well-being  and  glory  of  its 
republic."  Here  it  is  apparent  that  Columbus  discriminates 
between  the  city  and  its  dependent  territory.  That  the  house 
wherein  he  was  born  has  not  been  discovered  and  located  be 
yond  cavil,  does  not  seem  to  us  to  weigh  down  the  repeated 
asseverations  of  the  man  himself. 


NOTE  B. 

THE  DATE   OF  COLUMBUS'S   BIRTH. 

AT  no  place  in  his  existing  writings  has  Columbus  stated 
definitely  the  year  of  his  birth,  and  none  of  his  contemporaries 
attempt  to  fix  it  with  exactness.  Historical  critics  have  assigned 
it  variously  to  1435,  to  1455,  and  to  intermediate  years.  We 
shall  content  ourselves  with  transcribing  such  extracts  from  ac 
credited  authorities  as  may  serve  to  aid  the  reader  in  forming 
an  individual  opinion. 


APPENDIX,  345 

The  remarkable  "  Book  of  Prophecies,"  in  which  Columbus  * 
endeavored  to  show  that  the  Hebrew  Prophets  foretold  the  re 
covery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  by  means  of  the  treasures  resulting 
from  his  discovery  of  the  New  World,  contains  on  folio  IV.  an 
address  from  the  Admiral  to  the  Spanish  Sovereigns,  which 
opens  thus :  "  From  a  very  tender  age  (inuy  pequena  edad)  I 
embarked  on  the  sea,  as  a  sea-farer,  and  have  continued  thereon 
until  this  day.  This  career  inclines  whomsoever  follows  it  to 
seek  to  know  the  hidden  things  of  this  world.  Afore  than  forty 
years  are  already  spent  since  I  engaged  in  this  practice,"  etc. 

Again  he  says,  a  little  later  on  in  the  same  address :  "  I  re 
peat,  that  I  set  aside  all  the  navigating  I  have  done  since  early 
youth  (edad  nueva)"  etc. ;  a  repetition  which  establishes  at 
least  the  certainty  that  he  first  went  to  sea  while  very  young. 

His  friend  and  contemporary,  the  curate  of  Los  Palacios, 
writing  after  the  death  of  Columbus,  says  that  "  he  died  at  Val- 
ladolid,  in  the  year  1506,  in  the  month  of  May,  in  a  good  old 
age,  —  being  seventy  years  old,  a  little  more  or  less."  This 
would  make  him  about  sixty-six  in  1502,  when  the  "  Prophe 
cies  "  were  wr'Uen;  consequently,  upon  our  assumption  that 
the  "  more  than  forty  years  "  during  which  he  followed  the  sea 
mean  forty-two  or  forty-four,  Columbus  would  have  been  twenty- 
three  or  twenty-five  years  old  when  he  entered  upon  a  sailor's 
life,  —  an  hypothesis  irreconcilable  with  his  twice-repeated 
reference  to  his  "tender  years." 

The  difficulties  surrounding  the  subject  are  well  summed  up 
by  the  learned  Sefior  Navarrete  in  his  introduction  to  that 
"  Collection  of  Voyages  "  which  has  proved  such  a  mine  to  all 
students  of  the  Discovery.  After  analyzing  the  conflicting  tes 
timony  concerning  Columbus's  birthplace,  the  Spanish  scholar 
says  (vol.  i.  p.  Ixxix)  :  — 

"  There  is  even  a  greater  difference  of  opinion  in  fixing  the  date  of 
Colon's  birth  and  of  some  of  the  earlier  events  of  his  life.  Ramusio 
says  that  he  was  forty  years  of  age  when  he  first  proposed  to  the 
Seignory  of  Genoa  the  project  of  sailing  to  the  West  in  order  to  reach 
India  and  carry  on  directly  the  traffic  in  spices,  which  proposal  was 
deprecated  as  a  dream  or  idle  fable ;  and  that  Colon,  offended  that 
they  should  not  give  weight  to  his  argument,  went  to  negotiate  the 
affair  with  the  King  of  Portugal.  .  .  .  Since  we  know,  through  his  son 

l  Doubt  has  been  thrown,  we  think  somewhat  arrogantly,  upon  the  author 
ship  of  this  famous  manuscript.  We  have  greater  confidence  in  the  expert 
skill  of  the  experienced  scholars  who  unhesitatingly  affirmed  it  to  be  Colum 
bus's  work,  than  in  the  guarded  scepticism  of  those  who  question  it.  The 
latter  "  deny  "  altogether  too  much. 


346  APPENDIX. 

Don  Fernando,  that  Colon  came  to  Spain  as  a  fugitive  from  Portugal 
toward  the  close  of  1484,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  in  1470 
he  was  already  in  Lisbon.  If  he  was  then  forty  years  old,  according 
to  Ramusio,  it  is  clear  that  he  must  have  been  born  in  1430.  .  .  . 
Peter  Martyr,  also,  states  that  Colon  was  forty  years  old  when  he  sub 
mitted  to  the  Seignory  of  Genoa  his  project  of  discovery ;  but  as  he 
mentions  no  date,  it  is  not  possible  to  fix  the  year  in  which  he  was 
born.  Munoz  indicates  1446;  and  if  Colon  was  of  the  age  stated 
when,  in  1485,  he  went  to  Genoa  to  offer  his  services  and  present  his 
schemes,  —  as  the  author  believes,  —  his  birth  would  have  taken 
place  in  1445.  In  the  letter  which  Colon  wrote  to  his  sovereigns 
when  in  Jamaica,  the  7th  of  June,  1503,  he  says  obscurely  that  he  en 
tered  their  service  at  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  which  would  show 
that  he  was  born  in  1456 ;  but  there  is  plainly  a  mistake  in  the  copies 
of  this  document,  as  some  writers  have  already  pointed  out,  and  as  we 
ourselves  have  also  remarked. 

"About  the  year  1501  or  1502  Colon  addressed  to  the  monarchs 
his  book  of  '  Prophecies,'  and  states  that  for  more  than  forty  years  he 
had  followed  the  sea;  and  his  son  quotes  another  letter  in  which  he 
(Colon)  declares  that  he  began  to  go  to  sea  when  fourteen  years  old. 
If  to  these  fifty-four  years  we  add  the  eight  which  he  passed  in  Spain 
without  making  a  cruise,  —  from  the  end  of  1484  to  August,  1492,  — 
and  the  four  which  elapsed  from  1502  to  his  death,  we  gather  that  he 
lived  at  least  sixty-six  years  ;  although  Pere  Charlevoix  says  sixty-five. 
The  Curate  of  Los  Palacios,  who  knew  and  was  on  intimate  terms  with 
him,  asserts  l  ...  In  this  case,  he  must  have  been  born  in  1436 ;  and 
this  appears  the  more  probable  if  we  heed  what  Oviedo  declares,  when, 
in  relating  the  death  of  Colon,  he  says  that  he  was  '  already  an  old 
man ; '  and  when  the  king,  in  granting  him,  in  1 505,  permission  to  ride 
on  muleback,  states,  among  other  reasons,  that  it  was  because  of  his 
'  advanced  age,'  which  could  not  be  properly  asserted  of  a  man  sixty 
years  old." 

We  differ  from  Sefior  Navarrete  and  those  who  follow  him  in 
supposing  that  Columbus,  when  speaking  of  the  long  period 
during  which  he  followed  the  sea,  referred  only  to  the  years  ac 
tually  passed  in  voyaging.  If  we  deduct  the  years  he  passed  on 
land  in  Spain,  why  not  deal  in  like  manner  with  the  years  when 
he  was  carteando  —  painting  maps  —  in  Lisbon  ?  And  is  it  not 
almost  certain  that  in  1485,  at  least,  he  was  away  from  Spain,  — 
as  some  have  it,  laying  his  project  before  the  Genoese  and 
Venetian  authorities ;  or,  as  others  hold,  in  the  sea-fight  off  St. 
Vincent?  To  us  the  context  seems  to  show  that  the  "  more 
than  forty  years  "  embraced  the  whole  term  of  his  sea-faring  life. 
Nor  do  we  read  the  Jamaica  letter  as  Sefior  Navarrete  does. 

1  Quoted  on  the  preceding  page. 


APPENDIX.  347 

"  I  began  to  serve  ever  since  twenty-eight  years  of  age,"  is  what 
Columbus  wrote.  He  does  not  intimate  that  he  then  entered 
the  service  of  Spain ;  on  the  contrary,  the  sense  is  that  he  then 
began  to  labor  in  his  scheme  of  discovery.  If  he  was  born  in 
1445,  he  was  twenty-eight  years  old  in  1473  ;  and  this  apparently 
coincides  with  the  year  when  he  began  his  correspondence  with 
Toscanelli  concerning  the  feasibility  of  a  westward  passage  to 
'  India,  since  the  latter's  reply  is  written  in  1474.  If  the  Jamaica 
letter  proves  anything,  it  would  seem  to  be  that  Columbus  was 
twenty-eight  years  old  in  1473. 

1  Adopting  Don  Fernando's  citation  from  a  lost  letter  of  his 
father,  that  the  latter  was  fourteen  when  he  first  went  to  sea, 
and  adding  forty-two  years  as  the  equivalent  of  "more  than 
forty,"  he  would  be  about  fifty-six  when  the  "  Prophecies  "  were 
written,  or  about  sixty-one  when  he  died,  in  1506.  "Round 
numbers  "  are  ?pt  to  be  used  where  exact  dates  are  not  avail 
able  ;  and  we  are  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the  curate  of  Los 
Palacios,  in  stating  that  his  friend  was  "  seventy  years  old,  a 
little  more  or  less"  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  only  using  the 
common  Spanish  form  of  approximation,  which  may  as  properly 
be  read  sixty-five  or  sixty-six  as  seventy  exactly.  Moreover, 
the  difference  between  "  sixty  "  and  "  seventy  "  in  Spanish  is 
but  a  single  consonant,  and  in  crabbed  writing  an  error  would 
be  easy.  We  do  not  advance  these  remarks  to  discredit  either 
the  ancient  chroniclers  or  their  more  recent  followers,  or  to  sup 
port  any  theory  of  our  own,  but  only  to  evoke  a  spirit  of  caution 
in  dealing  with  a  matter  far  from  easy  of  solution.  We  know, 
both  from  his  own  and  from  his  contemporaries'  declarations, 
that  Columbus  was  aged  for  his  years,  and  especially  in  the 
bitter  lustrum  preceding  his  death  was  infirm  and  broken ;  there 
fore,  if  only  sixty,  he  might  well  have  the  appearance  of  and  be 
characterized  as  an  "  old  man." 


NOTE   C. 

COLUMBUS'S  STAY  AT  THE  COURTS  OF  PORTUGAL  AND  SPAIN. 

THE  Admiral  himself  twice  states  that  he  spent  fourteen 
years  in  his  applications  to  the  Portuguese  Crown  for  assistance 
in  making  a  western  voyage,  and  seven  at  the  Spanish  Court 
before  his  petition  was  granted.  We  know  that  he  left  Lisbon, 
or  rather  fled  from  that  city,  toward  the  close  of  the  year  1484; 
therefore  he  must  have  gone  there  in  1470,  or  early  in  '71.  In 


348  APPENDIX. 

that  pathetic  letter  which,  the  year  before  his  death,  he  addressed 
to  King  Ferdinand,  Columbus  says  that  he  first  "  came  to  anchor 
in  Portugal  because  the  king  of  that  country  was  more  learned 
in  discoveries  than  any  other."  It  seems  to  us  doubtful  whether 
at  this  time  his  mind  was  bent  upon  a  westward  cruise,  or 
whether  he  had  any  more  definite  plan  than  to  use  his  knowledge 
of  navigation  to  the  best  advantage  in  the  expeditions  then  fre 
quently  sailing  under  the  Portuguese  flag  in  search  of  a  southern 
passage  around  Africa.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  was  not  long  before 
a  western  voyage  became  the  master  idea  in  Columbus's  mind. 

How  he  had  passed  the  earlier  years  of  his  life,  from  the  ship-boy 
age  of  fourteen  to  the  skilled  mariner's  of  twenty-five  or  twenty- 
six,  is  largely  a  matter  of  conjecture.  He  has  recorded,  as  we 
have  seen,  only  that  he  "followed  the  sea."  His  contemporaries 
relate  tales  of  shipwreck,  of  naval  battles,  of  expeditions  against 
the  corsairs  of  Barbary,  even  of  what  would  be  called  to-day 
deeds  of  flat  piracy,  as  occurring  during  the  years  preceding  his 
arrival  at  Lisbon.  Las  Casas  quotes  from  a  manuscript  of  Co 
lumbus,  which  he  calls  his  "  Book  of  Memoirs,"  allusions  to 
various  voyages  and  adventures,  and  in  our  extracts  from  the 
Admiral's  Diary  we  have  had  occasion  to  notice  the  extent  of 
his  wanderings  to  distant  shores ;  but  most  of  these  cruises  are 
referable  to  the  period  of  his  nominal  stay  in  Portugal.  It 
seems  most  likely  that  prior  to  1470  his  exploits  were  confined 
to  the  Mediterranean  waters;  and  these  he  seems  to  have 
known  familiarly,  from  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  to  the  Bos- 
phorus,  both  on  the  European  and  African  coasts.  In  the  first 
half  of  the  fifteenth  century  there  was  occupation  enough,  both 
in  navigating  and  fighting,  on  these  sapphire  seas. 

The  first  distinct  knowledge  that  we  have  of  the  future  dis 
coverer  is  through  the  medium  of  his  friend  Las  Casas,  who 
says  that  Columbus  and  Fernando  Martinez  were  occupied  in 
compiling  and  painting  charts  for  King  Alonzo  of  Portugal,  and 
the  daring  navigators  who  then  made  Lisbon  their  point  of  de 
parture  for  the  bold  ventures  along  the  western  coasts  of  Africa 
which  culminated  in  1487  in  the  discovery  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  At  that  time  Columbus  was  a  diligent  student  of  the 
learning  of  the  ancients,  and  in  especial  seems  to  have  been  in 
fluenced  by  the  "  Imago  Mundi  "  of  Petrus  Aliacus,  —  a  schol 
arly  dissertation  upon  and  compendium  of  early  cosmography 
as  exhibited  in  the  writings  of  Pliny,  Strabo,  Aristotle,  Seneca, 
Ptolemy,  and  other  authors.  The  original  copy  of  this  book, 
profusely  annotated  by  Columbus's  own  hand,  is  yet  preserved, 
and  bears  evidence  on  numerous  pages  of  the  great  enterprise 


APPENDIX.  349 

which  was  fast  shaping  itself  in  his  mind.  Another  work  which 
was  copiously  commentated  by  Columbus  was  the  "  Historia 
Rerum "  of  ^Eneas  Sylvius ;  while  his  attention  was  likewise 
drawn  to  the  travels  of  Marco  Polo  and  Mandeville;  indeed,  to 
the  wildly  gorgeous  accounts  given  by  the  former  of  these  two 
veracious  travellers  Columbus  was  indebted  for  that  unshaken 
belief  in  the  certainty  of  finding  Cipango —  the  modern  Japan 

—  which  so  constantly  influenced  him  in  the  first  period  of  his 
Discovery. 

Meantime  his  collaborator  in  the  compilation  of  maps,  the 
Canon  Martinez,  was  in  correspondence  with  Paolo  ToscanelK, 

—  a  deeply  learned  Florentine  philosopher,  whose  high  reputa 
tion  for  geosrraphical  skill  was  based  on  the  practical  observa 
tions  derived  from  long  voyages  through  the  then  known  seas, 
as  well  as  upon  exhaustive  study  of  all  obtainable  works  dealing 
with  the  subject.     To  this  eminent  man  Columbus  wrote,  in 
1474,  and  received  in  reply  that  fascinating  letter  in  which  he 
applauds  the  argument  of  Columbus  as  to  the  certainty  of  reach 
ing  India  by  a  westward  passage,  and  urges  him  to  make  his 
contemplated  voyage  "  to  the  land  where  the  spices  are  born," 
where  "the  temples  and  royal  palaces  are  covered  with  planks 
of  gold."     The  more  to  confirm  his  correspondent's  confidence, 
Toscanelli  sends  him  a  copy  of  a  recent  letter  to  Martinez,  writ 
ten  at  the  request  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  and  also  a  copy  of 
the  map  which  he  had  prepared  for  his  Majesty,  in  which  the 
countries  referred  to  by  Marco  Polo  are  laid  down  in  their  sup 
posed  relations  to  Europe.     It  is  worth  while  to  note  that  the 
aged  Florentine  scientist,  in  his  letter  to  Martinez,  dilates  upon 
the  advantages  which  would  accrue  to  Portugal  were  she  to 
push   her  advances  across   the  Atlantic  rather  than  southward 
along  the  African  coasts ;  and  also  that  he  refers  to  Columbus, 
in  writing  to  him,  as  one  of  "the  Portuguese  nation,"—  misled 
apparently  by  the  latter's  own  letter  being  addressed  from  Lis 
bon.     The  effect  of  this  correspondence  on  the  already  ardent 
imagination  of  Columbus  is  traceable  throughout  his  whole  sub 
sequent  career,  and  is  frequently  referred  to  in  our  narrative. 
As  we  have  there  seen,  he  used  Toscanelli's  map  throughout 
the  first  voyage ;  and  many  of  the  delusions  which  he  then 
cherished  are  directly  referable  to  that  ingenious  production. 
Unfortunately  no  copy  of  Columbus's  letter  to  Toscanelli  has 
been  found.     Las  Casas  says  that  he  himself  "  saw  it  and  had 
it  in  his  possession,  translated  from  Latin  into  Spanish."     He 
adds  that  the  letters  from  Toscanelli  were  in  Latin.     Doubtless 
Columbus  also  enjoyed  at  this  period  the  advantage  of  Martin 


35O  APPENDIX. 

de  Behaim's  acquaintance,  and  was  familiar  with  the  labors 
which  resulted  in  1492  in  the  publication  of  the  globe  bearing 
that  cosmographer's  name. 

The  great  explorer  during  these  years  was  diligently  accumu 
lating  all  such  maps  and  charts  as  professed  to  give  the  con 
tour  of  the  world,  and  pursued  indefatigably  his  questionings  of 
all  mariners  who  had  sailed  in  other  quarters  than  those  visited 
by  himself.  What  to  him  must  have  been  a  priceless  collection 
of  charts  and  accounts  of  voyages  made  to  the  recently  discov 
ered  Canary  Islands  and  like  remote  frontiers  of  the  habitable 
globe  came  into  his  possession  in  1473,  or  thereabouts,  upon 
his  marriage  to  Donna  Felipa  Moniz  Perestrello,  daughter  of  a 
Portuguese  nobleman,  who  had  made  several  voyages  of  dis 
covery  in  the  service  of  the  sailor  prince  Dom  Henrique.  This 
marriage  also  resulted  in  Columbus  visiting  the  island  of  Porto 
Santo,  one  of  the  Madeira  group,  where  his  father-in-law  had 
been  governor  during  his  lifetime,  and  where  his  widow  yet 
possessed  extensive  estates.  Here  Columbus's  son  Diego  was 
born,  in  1474,  and  from  here  the  father  made  voyages  to  Madeira 
and  the  Canaries.  Other  and  wider  sea-wandering  he  also  did 
while  his  nominal  home  was  in  Portugal  ;  for  we  are  told  that 
he  sailed  "many  times"  to  the  Guinea  coasts,  and  once  to 
"  Ultima  Thule,"  —  which  some  historians  think  was  the  Faroe 
Archipelago,  though  most  believe  that  Iceland  was  so  Called, 
and  rightly,  we  judge.  To  this  period  are  to  be  assigned  the 
other  voyages  of  which  Columbus  speaks  in  the  pourse  of  his 
writings, — to  England,  Ireland,  France,  Flanders.  His  claim 
that  he  had  "  sailed  every  sea  which  until  to-day  is  navigated  " 
was  no  idle  boast. 

Notwithstanding  his  long  absences  on  these  distant  journey- 
ings,  Columbus  gained  fame  and  credit  as  a  geographer  of  su 
preme  ability,  and  steadfastly  pressed  his  suit  for  the  ships  and 
men  he  needed  to  cross  the  Western  Ocean.  King  Alonzo  ended 
his  vacillating  reign  in  1480,  and  John  II.  ascended  the  Portu 
guese  throne  ;  but  neither  granted  the  aid  the  Genoese  asked.  To 
use  his  own  words,  "  God  so  closed  the  eyes  and  ears  and  all 
the  senses  "  of  Portugal's  king  that  "  in  fourteen  years  I  could 
not  make  him  understand  what  I  was  saying."  From  John  II. 
indeed  he  experienced  that  treachery  of  which  he  speaks  so 
bitterly  in  our  earlier  pages ;  but  these  years  were  far  from 
wasted,  for  his  writings  bear  constant  witness  to  the  vast  store 
of  experience  and  knowledge  acquired  during  this  period  of 
alternate  voyaging  and  study;  and  in  his  diary  it  is  the  fa 
miliarity  with  the  Atlantic  Ocean  in  its  manifold  phases  which 


APPENDIX.  351 

he  then  gained  that  established  his  faith  and  led  him  ever  west 
ward  when  the  courage  of  his  stoutest  pilots  was  all  but  gone. 

In  1484,  toward  the  close  of  the  year,  he  left  Lisbon  sud 
denly,  and  apparently  by  stealth.  His  wife  was  dead,  and  he 
was  deeply  involved  in  debt.  That  his  flight  was  connected 
with  money  troubles  is  conjectured  from  his  Testament,  al 
ready  cited  ;  for  in  the  codicil  thereto  dated  the  week  before  his 
death  he  directs  the  payment  of  sundry  sums,  reaching  the  im 
portant  total  of  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  maravedies, 
to  various  Jew  and  Genoese  merchants  of  Lisbon,  with  the  in 
junction  thut  the  payments  were  to  be  arranged  "  in  such  man 
ner  that  it  should  not  be  known  who  had  caused  them  to  be 
made."  That  he  was  in  Lisbon  at  least  a  part  of  1484  is  ap 
parent  from  the  statement  in  his  diary  (pth  of  August,  1492) 
that,  "being  in  Portugal  in  1484,  he  saw  a  resident  of  the  island 
of  Madeira  come  to  ask  of  the  king  a  caravel  to  go  in  search 
of  "  the  phantom  land  which  was  so  often  seen  on  the  western 
horizon  and  never  found. 

In  leaving  Portugal  Columbus's  plan  seems  to  have  been  to  go  to 
Paris  and  lay  his  projects  before  the  Court  of  France.  From  this 
he  was  dissuaded  by  the  Duke  of  Medina  Celi,  the  most  powerful 
of  the  grandees  of  Spain,  whose  protection  he  sought  immedi 
ately  after  his  sudden  departure  from  Lisbon,  and  whose  hospi 
tality  he  enjoyed  during  the  two  years  which  elapsed  until,  in 
1486,  he  made  his  first  appearance  before  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 
This,  at  least,  is  the  positive  declaration  of  the  great  noble  in 
the  letter  which  his  Grace  wrote  to  the  Grand  Cardinal  of  Spain, 
—  that  famous  Pedro  Gonzalez  de  Mendoza,  of  heretic  burning 
proclivities,  —  which  was  dated  from  "  this  my  town  of  Cogolludo, 
the  i pth  of  March  [1493],"  four  days  after  Columbus's  return  to 
Palos  from  his  successful  expedition.  The  letter  is  worth  quot 
ing  in  its  entirety.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  Duke  had  heard 
of  Columbus's  arrival  at  Lisbon ;  he  had  not  yet  learned  of  his 
still  later  entry  into  the  port  of  Palos.  The  epistle  runs :  — 

MOST  REVEREND  SIR, —  I  am  not  aware  whether  your  Lordship 
knows  that  I  had  Cristoforo  Colon  under  my  roof  for  a  long  time 
when  he  came  from  Portugal  and  wished  to  go  to  the  King  of  France, 
in  order  that  he  might  go  in  search  of  the  Indies  with  his  Majesty's 
aid  and  countenance.  I  myself  wished  to  make  the  venture,  and 
to  despatch  him  from  my  port  [Santa  Maria],  where  I  had  a  good 
equipment  of  three  or  four  caravels,  since  he  asked  no  more  from  me; l 

1  This  still  further  disposes  of  the  idea,  sometimes  advanced,  that  Colum 
bus,  in  making  his  voyage  in  three  small  ships,  was  acting  tinder  the  stress  of 
necessity.  Here  we  see  him,  six  years  before  1492,  asking  only  the  same  fleet 
which  he  afterward  received  from  the  Spanish  Crown. 


352  APPENDIX. 

but  as  I  recognized  that  this  was  an  undertaking  for  the  Queen,  our 
Sovereign,  I  wrote  about  the  matter  to  her  Highness  from  Rota, 
and  she  replied  that  I  should  send  him  to  her.  Therefore  I  sent  him, 
and  asked  her  Highness  that,  since  I  did  not  desire  to  pursue  the 
enterprise  but  had  arranged  it  for  her  service,  she  should  direct  that 
compensation  be  made  to  me,  and  that  I  might  have  a  share  in  it,  by 
having  the  loading  and  unloading  of  the  commerce  done  in  the  Port. 

Her  Highness  received  him  [Colon],  and  referred  him  to  Alonso 
de  Quintanilla,  who,  in  turn,  wrote  me  that  he  did  not  consider  this  affair 
to  be  very  certain;  but  that,  if  it  should  go  through,  her  Highness 
would  give  me  a  reward  and  part  in  it.  After  having  well  studied  it, 
she  agreed  to  send  him  in  search  of  the  Indies.  Some  eight  months 
ago  he  set  out,  and  now  has  arrived  at  Lisbon  on  his  return  voyage, 
and  has  found  all  which  he  sought  and  very  completely ;  which,  as 
soon  as  I  knew,  in  order  to  advise  her  Highness  of  such  good  tidings, 
I  am  writing  by  Suares  and  sending  him  to  beg  that  she  grant  me  the 
privilege  of  sending  out  there  each  year  some  of  my  own  caravels. 

I  entreat  your  Lordship  that  you  may  be  pleased  to  assist  me  in 
this  and  also  ask  it  in  my  behalf;  since  on  my  account  and  through 
my  keeping  him  [Colon]  two  years  in  my  house,  and  having  placed 
him  at  her  Majesty's  service,  so  great  a  thing  as  this  has  come  to 
pass.  And  because  Suares  will  inform  your  Lordship  more  in  detail, 
I  beg  you  to  hearken  to  him. 

May  Our  Lord  protect  your  very  reverend  person  as  your  Lord 
ship  desires. 

From  this  charmingly  frank  specimen  of  courtly  wire-pulling 
it  is  evident  that  Columbus  was  first  presented  to  Queen  Isa 
bella,  in  1486,  by  this  powerful  noble,  and  not  by  the  priests,  as 
is  so  commonly  recorded.  The  letter  is  too  circumstantial  to 
admit  of  dispute  as  to  the  facts  alleged,  and  accounts  for  the 
two  years  between  his  leaving  Portugal  and  his  reception  at 
the  Spanish  Court  in  the  only  manner  admissible.  If  Columbus 
took  part,  as  Las  Casas  asserts,  in  the  sea-fight  between  the 
French  and  Venetian  galleys  off  St.  Vincent,  in  1485,  it  must 
have  been  while  nominally  under  the  protection  of  Medina  Celi ; 
and  if  he  went  to  Genoa  and  Venice  to  press  his  plans  upon  the 
consideration  of  those  republics,  as  some  assert,  he  most  prob 
ably  did  so  at  this  time.  It  is  barely  possible,  indeed,  that  he 
was  aboard  the  Venetian  galleys,  returning  to  Spain  when  the 
fight  occurred,  and  not  on  the  French  ships,  as  is  generally 
alleged.  There  is  no  substantial  historical  basis  for  any  of 
these  conjectures,  however,  beyond  the  fact,  recorded  by  Las 
Casas,  that  the  Seignory  of  Venice  sent  to  thank  the  Portuguese 
king  "at  the  time  of  the  election  of  Maximilian,  son  of  the 
Emperor  Frederic,  as  King  of  the  Romans,"  for  aid  rendered 
the  shipwrecked  survivors  of  this  naval  battle.  The  election 


APPENDIX.  353 

mentioned  took  place  in  1486 ;  so  the  fight  may  well  have 
occurred  in  the  previous  year. 

At  all  events  Columbus  enjoyed  the  ostensible  patronage  of 
the  great  duke  from  some  time  in  '84  to  the  beginning  of 
'86.  He  himself  says  in  his  diary,  under  date  of  Jan.  14, 
1493,  that  he  formally  entered  the  service  of  the  Spanish  mon- 
archs  on,  the  2oth  of  January,  1486;  and  this  should  be  conclu 
sive.  It  was  in  this  same  year  that  those  debates,  discussions, 
or  conferences  took  place  at  Salamanca  between  Columbus  and 
the  learned  schoolmen  appointed  by  the  Spanish  sovereigns  to 
hear  the  arguments  of  the  Genoese  geographer  and  pass  judg 
ment  upon  their  merits.  These  discussions  have  passed  into 
history  as  the  "  Council  of  Salamanca,"  and  as  such  have  been 
celebrated  alike  by  pen  and  brush ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether 
they  were  more  than  a  series  of  conferences  carried  on  without 
especial  pomp  or  circumstance,  much  as  similar  conferences 
are  conducted  in  Spanish  countries  at  the  present  day.  Such, 
at  least,  is  the  character  given  them  by  Dr.  Rodrigo  Maldo- 
nado,  who,  as  a  member  of  the  Royal  Council  resident  at 
Salamanca,  was  deputed  by  the  sovereigns,  "together  with 
other  learned  men,  scholars,  and  seamen,"  to  "  argue  with  the 
said  Admiral  concerning  his  voyage  to  the  said  islands,"  that 
is,  the  Indies.  Beyond  this  there  is  no  evidence  that  the  queen 
or  king  took  any  part  in  the  proceedings.  The  result  of  the 
investigation  was,  according  to  Dr.  Maldonado  (and  he  was  a 
faithful  friend  and  supporter  of  Columbus  later  on),  that  "all 
agreed  that  it  was  impossible  that  what  he  said  should  be  true." 
Doubtless  it  was  about  this  time  also  that  Quintanilla,  after 
ward  so  stanch  a  supporter  of  Columbus,  wrote  to  his  friend 
the  Duke  of  Medina  Celi  "that  he  did  not  consider  the  busi 
ness  to  be  very  certain." 

The  failure  of  the  clergy  and  pilots  to  sustain  the  views  of 
the  great  discoverer  led  to  the  temporary  abandonment  of  the 
project  by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella ;  but  they  still  retained  him 
in  attendance  at  their  Court.  In  1487  we  find  four  payments 
made  to  Cristoval  Colomo  (note  that  the  name  was  not  yet  His- 
panicized  into  Colon),  amounting  in  all  to  fourteen  thousand 
maravedies,  "  for  certain  matters  pertaining  to  the  service  of 
their  Majesties;"  and  other  like  payments  in  1488.  Beyond 
this,  until  he  appears  at  the  portal  of  La  Rabida,  the  details  of 
Columbus's  life  at  the  Spanish  Court  are  lost  to  us.  That  he 
persistently  urged  his  project  appears  both  from  his  own  re 
peated  declarations  which  are  incorporated  in  our  narrative  and 
from  the  testimony  of  his  contemporaries  and  friends.  In  the 

23 


354  APPENDIX. 

pursuit  of  his  object  he  gained  some  powerful  and  courageous 
supporters  among  the  highest  notabilities  of  Isabella's  Court, 
but  more  and  equally  influential  enemies  among  the  envious, 
the  bigoted,  and  the  would-be  wise.  Thrice  during  these 
years  was  he  invited  by  as  many  princes  to  visit  them  and 
discuss  his  proposed  enterprise  with  them,  —  by  the  kings 
of  England,  France,  and  Portugal.  The  latter  wrote  him  on 
the  2oth  of  March,  1488,  seemingly  in  answer  to  some  com 
munication  made  to  him  by  Columbus,  and  urged  him  to  return 
to  Lisbon,  adding  a  warranty  of  safe-conduct,  "since  per 
chance  you  may  have  some  apprehension  of  our  officers  of 
justice  on  account  of  certain  matters  to  which  you  may  be 
bound."  Of  the  invitation  sent  by  Charles  VIII.  of  France,  or 
rather  by  the  regent  Anne,  no  trace  remains.  That  of  the  Eng 
lish  Henry  VII.  was  no  doubt  sent  in  answer  to  the  solicitations 
of  Bartholome'  Colon,  the  navigator's  brother,  who  had  gone  to 
London  in  1486  to  lay  Christopher's  scheme  before  that  king. 
All  these  three  flattering  commands  from  royalty  were  received 
by  Columbus  while  waiting  at  the  Spanish  Court,  and  by  him 
were  laid  before  Isabella.  "  I  had  letters  of  request  from  three 
princes,"  he  says  in  his  letter  of  May,  1505,  to  Ferdinand, 
"  which  the  Queen  (whom  God  have  in  His  holy  glory !)  saw, 
and  had  read  to  her  by  Dr.  Villalan." 

It  was  in  1491,  so  far  as  we  can  determine,  that  Columbus, 
being  then  in  Seville,  decided  to  leave  Spain  and  again  start  for 
France,  in  the  hope  that  the  regent  Anne  would  be  as  good  as 
her  written  offer,  and  lend  him  the  aid  he  had  not  been  able  to 
secure  from  Spain.  It  was  then,  if  we  read  aright  the  testimony 
of  those  who  knew  best  his  movements  at  the  time,  that  he 
stopped  at  the  Convent  of  La  Rabida,  met  the  warm-hearted 
friar  Juan  Perez,  and  through  the  entreaties  of  that  kindred 
spirit  and  his  friend  Garcia  Fernandez  the  physician,  was  per 
suaded  to  make  the  final  appeal  to  Isabella  which  resulted  in 
the  discovery  of  the  western  continent. 

In  this  view  of  the  obscure  years  of  Columbus's  life  we  have 
differed  widely  from  many  familiar  presentations  of  the  subject; 
but  we  have  followed  faithfully  the  original  documents  bearing 
on  the  period,  and  find  no  other  consistent  record  possible  than 
that  here  given  and  adopted  in  our  narrative. 


I 


APPENDIX. 
NOTE   D. 

COLUMBUS  AT  THE  CONVENT  OF  LA  RABIDA. 


355 


WE  have  begun  our  story  with  the  visit  of  Columbus  to  La 
Rabida,  because  here,  for  the  first  time,  we  could  tread  on  solid 
ground  with  the  plain  testimony  of  eyewitnesses  to  guide  us. 
Most  of  the  critics  and  historians  of  Columbus's  career  attribute 
to  him  two  visits  to  the  convent  and  its  good  prior,  Juan  Antonio 
Perez ;  but  we  fail  to  find  any  sufficient  authority  for  such  a 
view.  Las  Casas,  indeed,  does  give  an  account  of  a  first  visit, 
made  by  Columbus  on  his  way  from  Portugal  into  Spain,  which 
he  says  he  heard  "from  one  of  the  old  residents  of  this  island," 
—  that  is,  San  Domingo;  but  he  follows  it  with  the  story  of  the 
single  visit  as  related  by  Garcia  Fernandez,  in  a  manner  which 
indicates  that  to  the  latter  account  he  gives  the  greater  credence. 
According  to  the  former  version,  Columbus  knocked  at  the  con 
vent  gate  on  his  journey  to  the  Spanish  Court,  and  was  so  hos 
pitably  received  by  the  worthy  guardian  of  the  little  monastery 
that  when,  in  1491,  he  abandoned  all  further  hope  of  aid  from 
the  sovereigns  of  Castile  and  turned  his  face  toward  France,  he 
once  more  sought  La  Rabida,  and  took  counsel  of  Fray  Juan 
Perez.  This  is,  therefore,  counted  as  his  second  visit.  From 
this  point  onward  accounts  agree  in  most  respects  concerning 
the  encouragement  given  him  by  the  liberal-minded  priest  and 
the  efficient  help  given  by  him  to  Columbus. 

We  differ  radically  from  this  position,  and  have  in  our  ac 
count  followed  the  statements  made  by  Garcia  Fernandez  the 
physician,  old  Juan  de  Cabezudo,  and  other  villagers  of  Palos 
whose  evidence  was  given  in  unmistakable  language  twenty- 
two  years  later  in  the  pleito,  or  lawsuit,  brought  by  Diego  Colon 
against  the  Spanish  Crown  to  enforce  the  fulfilment  of  all  the 
engagements  made  with  his  deceased  father  the  Admiral. 

The  effort  was  being  made  to  show  that  to  the  Pinzons  all  the 
credit  for  the  discovery  was  due,  down  to  the  very  money  used 
by  Columbus  in  going  from  La  Rabida  to  the  Court.  In  reply 
Dr.  Fernandez  declares  that  undoubtedly  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon 
had  the  means  to  do  what  was  alleged ;  but  that  the  whole  affair 
happened  in  a  very  different  manner,  which  he  proceeds  to  relate  : 
Columbus  with  his  "little  boy,"  the  doctor  says,  arrived  in  Pa 
los  on  foot,  and  "put  into  La  Rabida  in  distress"  (the  nautical 
phrase  d  la  arribada  5s  significant).  He  asked  of  the  porter 
bread  and  water  for  his  lad,  which  were  given.  Seeing  him  there, 


356  APPENDIX. 

Fray  Juan  Perez,  guardian,  or  prior,  of  the  monastery,  entered 
into  conversation  with  him,  and  discovered  at  once  from  his 
speech  that  he  was  a  foreigner.  In  answer  to  the  friar's  kindly 
inquiries,  Columbus  entered  into  a  frank  conversation  with  him, 
and  described  at  some  length  his  prolonged  efforts  to  interest 
the  Spanish  monarchs  in  his  daring  scheme,  with  the  result 
only  that  many  of  the  courtiers  mocked  at  him  for  a  dreamer  of 
dreams,  and  asserted  that  "it  was  all  thin  air,  and  there  was  no 
sense  in  it."  Wearied  with  such  crass  bigotry  and  ignorance, 
Columbus  "  had  left  the  Court,  and  was  now  on  his  way  directly 
from  Palos  to  Huelva  to  see  and  confer  with  the  husband  of  his 
wife's  sister,  Muliar  by  name."  Struck  by  his  sincerity,  and 
impressed  with  the  soundness  of  his  visitor's  arguments,  the 
prior  kept  him  at  the  convent  while  he  sent  to  the  adjoining 
village  of  Palos  to  summon  this  same  Dr.  Fernandez —  "  with 
whom  he  had  an  affectionate  friendship,  and  because  he  (the 
doctor)  knew  something  of  the  astronomical  art"  —  to  come 
and  converse  with  "  the  said  Cristdval  Colon  "  and  examine  the 
correctness  of  his  views  "touching  this  matter  of  discovery." 
The  doctor  went  to  the  convent  "  at  once,  and  all  three  conferred 
about  the  affair." 

The  subsequent  action  of  this  little  band  is  shown  in  our  nar 
rative  ;  still  following  the  simple  and  convincing  relation  of 
Garcia  Fernandez.  From  all  his  testimony,  which  remains  un- 
controverted  to  this  day,  it  is  evident  that  this  was  the  first  visit 
of  Columbus  to  La  Rabida,  and  that  it  was  through  the  aid  and 
encouragement  then  extended  by  the  two  friends,  priest  and  lay 
man,  that  he  was  again  enabled  to  visit  Granada  and  secure  a 
favorable  hearing  from  Queen  Isabella. 

The  whole  account  is  detailed  and  circumstantial,  and  we 
have  limited  ourselves  to  it,  adding  only  such  explanatory  and 
corroborative  facts  as  a  careful  study  of  Columbus's  own  writ 
ings  and  the  archives  of  the  period  supplied.  The  substance 
of  the  Admiral's  conversation  is  given  by  the  physician  himself; 
but  we  have  preferred  to  substitute  the  language  of  the  dis 
coverer's  letters  for  the  necessarily  brief  summary  given  by 
Garcia  Fernandez  in  his  verbal  testimony. 

The  evidence  of  Juan  Rodriguez  Cabezudo  is  no  less  em 
phatic  and  conclusive  than  that  of  the  physician.  He  swore 
that  "  he  saw  the  old  Admiral  [as  distinguished  from  Don  Diego, 
the  young  Admiral]  in  this  town  of  Moguer,  going  about  with  a 
Franciscan  friar  trying  to  arrange  for  a  discovery  of  the  Indies ; 
and  the  said  Admiral  asked  him  [Cabezudo]  to  lend  him  a  mule, 
on  which  the  said  friar  could  go  to  Court  to  carry  on  the  nego- 


APPENDIX.  357 

tiation,  and  he  let  him  have  it,"  etc.  Other  statements  he  also 
made,  which  have  been  woven  into  our  narrative. 

'  Now,  the  physician  Garcia  Fernandez  explicitly  refers  to  this 
mule,  and  says  that  Juan  Perez  set  out  on  it  at  midnight  on  his 
journey  to  the  Court. 

In  view  of  the  directness  of  the  stories  told  by  both  doctor 
and  sailor,  we  are  satisfied  that  Columbus  did  not  visit  La 
Rabida  before  the  occasion  referred  to  by  these  witnesses,  and 
that  the  supposition  of  any  previous  visit  must  be  due  to  a  con 
fused  mention  of  the  Admiral's  return  from  his  finally  successful 
mission  to  Granada,  when  he  was  again  an  inmate  of  the  friendly 
cloisters  during  the  preparation  of  his  little  fleet  in  the  adjoining 
port  of  Palos. 

The  incidents  which  we  have  related  concerning  the  early  life 
of  Sebastian  Rodriguez,  the  ex-pirate,  and  other  details  up  to 
the  time  of  Columbus's  return  from  Granada,  have  been  ob 
tained  by  a  careful  collation  of  official  documents  selected  from 
the  Archives  of  the  Indies,  and  printed  by  Navarrete. 


NOTE  E. 
COLUMBUS'S  "DEBT  TO  EARLIER  NAVIGATORS. 

"  YOUR  Majesties  determined  to  send  me,  Cristoval  Colon,  to  the 
said  parts  of  India  to  see  the  said  princes  and  nations  and  countries 
.  .  .  and  directed  that  I  should  not  go  by  land  to  the  Orient  by  the 
way  it  was  customary  to  travel  j  but  by  the  route  to  the  West,  by -which 
we  do  not  know  to  this  day,  of  a  surety,  that  any  one  has  passed." 

In  such  frank  phrase  did  Columbus  begin  the  journal  in  which 
he  wrote  down  from  day  to  day,  for  the  information  of  his  sov 
ereigns,  the  incidents  of  the  daring  adventure  he  had  under 
taken.  Neither  here  nor  elsewhere  in  his  writings  did  he  claim 
to  have  invented  the  theory  of  a  western  passage  to  Asia.  On 
the  contrary,  he  based  his  belief  in  its  practicability  on  the  con 
sensus  of  evidence  which  for  twenty  years  he  had  been  indus 
triously  accumulating,  —  partly  by  studying  the  works  of  ancient 
and  contemporary  philosophers  and  travellers,  partly  from  his 
contact  with  other  seafaring  men,  partly  from  observation  of 
winds  and  currents  and  the  spoil  they  cast  on  more  than  one 
Atlantic  beach.  To  himself  we  owe  our  chief  knowledge  of  the 
sources  whence  his  faith  was  derived.  Pedro  de  Velasco.  pilot  to 
Diego  Detiene,  told  Columbus  in  the  Convent  of  La  Rabida  of  a 
lonesome  voyage  far  out  into  the  Ocean  Sea,  the  fruit  of  which 


358  APPENDIX. 

was  the  discovery  of  Flores  Island.  Martin  Vincente  informed 
him  in  Portugal  of  a  voyage  four  hundred  and  fifty  leagues 
due  west  from  Cape  St.  Vincent,  which  resulted  in  nothing  more 
than  pushing  back  the  horizon  that  much  farther.  From  Cazaud 
he  learned  of  the  voyage  in  search  of  a  western  land  seen 
by  Diaz  de  Tavera.  The  blind  sailor  and  his  Portuguese  ship 
mate  who  are  mentioned  in  our  narrative  told  him  how  they 
were  blown  far  to  the  northwest  of  Ireland,  and  caught  sight  of 
a  coast  they  fancied  was  Tartary.  All  these  facts,  and  others, 
we  owe  to  Columbus's  own  pen.  He  did  not  attempt  to  ignore 
his  debt  to  others  ;  he  determined  to  prove  "  of  a  surety  "  that 
the  Dark  Ocean  was  a  highway,  not  a  bottomless  chaos 

We  put  aside  as  futile  the  argument  that  he  was  indebted  for 
his  steadfast  confidence  to  the  Norse  Sagas  which  describe  the 
voyages  of  Leif  Erikson  and  his  hardy  countrymen  to  Labrador, 
if,  in  the  "Ultima  Thule  "  visited  by  Columbus  in  1477,  we 
recognize  the  modern  Iceland,  it  is  scarcely  credible  that  at  so 
early  a  period  of  his  life  he  should  have  time  or  inclination  to 
study  Runic  lore  while  on  a  hasty  privateering  cruise.  Had 
he  done  so,  or  had  he  learned  in  later  years  of  Vinland  the 
Good,  as  some  would  have  it,  through  the  medium  of  faded 
parchments  "  procured  from  the  Vatican  for  the  Pinzons,"  he 
would  surely  have  adduced  so  pertinent  a  witness  when  quot 
ing  the  far  less  important  testimony  of  Aristotle,  Seneca,  and 
Pliny.  If  he  attached  weight  to  the  vague  tales  of  the  blind 
sailor  of  Murcia,  why  should  he  have  failed  to  present  the  posi 
tive  proof  of  a  voyage  which  could  be  so  circumstantially  estab 
lished  ?  That  Leif  Erikson  reached  Labrador  we  are  prepared 
to  believe ;  but  that  Columbus  knew  of  so  momentous  a  cor- 
roboration  of  his  theory,  we  greatly  doubt.  As  to  the  Pinzon 
fable,  it  is  refuted  by  the  testimony  of  Pinzon's  own  son,  who 
asserts  that  he  was  present  with  his  father  when  the  latter  ob 
tained  in  Rome  a  certain  "  writing "  concerning  the  western 
lands,  and  that  it  was  "  of  the  time  of  Solomon."  Even  the 
Dighton  Rock  can  hardly  claim  so  venerable  a  pedigree. 

The  legend  of  the  dying  pilot,  Sanchez,  delivering  to  Columbus 
in  1485  a  map  showing  the  location  of  Hispaniola,  whither 
Sanchez  had  been  blown  by  easterly  gales,  and  whence  he  had 
miraculously  returned,  rests  on  an  equally  frail  foundation.  Las 
Casas  says  it  was  "  common  "  in  Hispaniola  after  Columbus's 
death,  but  he  gives  it  no  credence.  It  is  so  variously  and 
loosely  related  in  other  chronicles  that  we  may  safely  assume, 
with  the  doughty  Benzoni,  "  there  were  many  who  could  not 
endure  that  a  foreigner  and  an  Italian  should  have  acquired  so 


APPENDIX.  359 

much  honor  and  so  much  glory,  not  only  for  the  Spanish  king 
dom,  but  also  for  the  other  nations  of  the  world." 

Mutatis  mutandi  the  same  might  be  said  of  those  who,  under 
the  pretext  of  "historical  criticism,"  spend  their  powers  in  trying 
to  prove  that  we  owe  the  discovery  of  our  continent  to  a  happy 
combination  of  good-luck  and  fraud. 


NOTE   F. 

THE  FUNDS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. 

IN  his  codicil,  dated  May  19,  1506,  a  few  days  before  his 
death,  Columbus  mentions  that  "  their  Majesties  did  not  spend, 
or  wish  to  spend,  more  than  one  million  maravedies,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  me  to  provide  the  rest."  We  know  that  at  the 
time  he  set  out  across  the  Western  Ocean  Columbus  was  no 
capitalist,  and  the  queries  naturally  arise  :  How  much  was  "  the 
rest  "  ?  Who  supplied  it  ? 

The  Crown  furnished  1,040,000  maravedies.  This  money  was 
advanced  by  Luiz  de  Santangel,  Escribano  de  Radon,  or  Comp 
troller,  of  the  kingdom  of  Aragon.  From  existing  documents 
it  is  apparent  that  this  was  no  "  loan,"  as  is  so  often  and  roman 
tically  asserted ;  for  on  the  5th  of  May,  1492,  —  only  eighteen 
days  after  the  capitulation  for  the  voyage  was  signed  between 
Columbus  and  the  Spanish  sovereigns, — we  find  a  part  of  the 
sum  so  advanced  being  repaid  to  Santangel,  or  rather  to  his 
order,  by  the  Archbishop  of  Granada  from  the  coffers  of  the 
Church.  The  language  of  the  entry  is  plainly  that  of  a  mere 
transfer  of  accounts,  and  the  money  furnished  to  find  "  the 
Indies  "  is  prosaically  coupled  with  another  million  of  mara 
vedies  received  from  Don  Isaac  Abraham,  a  wealthy  Jew,  to 
carry  on  the  war  with  the  Moors.  The  Archbishop  seems  to 
have  been  the  real  lender  of  the  Columbus  funds,  for  as  late  as 
August,  1494,  we  find  the  prelate  still  receiving  payments  on 
account  of  his  payments  to  Santangel. 

The  expedition  cost  more  in  its  preparation  than  the  amount 
supplied  by  the  Crown,  and  it  has  been  commonly  assumed  that 
the  additional  sum  required  was  500,000  maravedies,  and  that 
these  were  contributed  by  the  Pinzons.  Las  Casas  refers  to 
this  ;  not  as  a  fact,  but  as  his  own  surmise  from  certain  entries 
on  the  notarial  records  of  Palos.  It  has  also  been  supposed 
that  this  sum  represented  the  "  eighth  "  which,  under  his  con 
tract  with  the  sovereigns,  Columbus  was  obliged  to  furnish.  A 


360  .  APPENDIX. 

reference  to  that  document,  as  given  in  Chapter  V.  of  our  nar 
rative,  will  show  that  it  was  wholly  optional  with  Columbus  to 
subscribe  this  portion  of  the  cost  of  the  expedition.  Had  he 
exercised  the  option  (and,  as  Las  Casas  suggests,  he  doubtless 
did  so  in  order  to  furnish  material  evidence  of  the  faith  which 
inspired  him),  the  amount  required  would  have  been  far  less 
than  500,000  maravedies.  On  his  return  in  1493  the  sovereigns 
granted  him  a  special  gratuity  of  375,000  maravedies;  possibly 
this  was  designed  to  afford  him  the  means  to  repay  the  debt  in 
curred  by  him  personally  to  supplement  the  insufficient  contri 
bution  of  the  Crown.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  not  probable  that 
the  Pinzons,  had  they  supplied  any  such  sum  of  money  as  that 
alleged  and  not  been  repaid,  would  have  failed  to  lay  great 
stress  upon  it  in  the  determined  and  virulent  effort  which  they 
made  in  1519  to  rob  him  of  all  the  credit  of  the  discovery. 


NOTE   G. 

THE  PART   ACTUALLY   TAKEN   BY   THE   PINZON   BROTHERS. 

GARCIA  FERNAXDEZ,  in  his  testimony  in  the  pleito,  or  law 
suit,  already  referred  to,  twice  declares  in  positive  terms  that 
Columbus  first  met  the  Pinzons  and  secured  their  co-operation 
after  his  return  from  his  last  and  successful  visit  to  Granada. 
"  And  he  came  from  there,"  he  states  in  answer  to  one  interrog 
atory,  "  armed  with  authority  to  take  the  said  ships,  which  he 
should  indicate  as  being  suitable  for  the  prosecution  of  the  said 
voyage,  and  it  is  at  this  time  that  the  arrangement  and  associ 
ation  which  he  made  with  Martin  Alonzo  and  Vicente  Yafiez 
were  consummated,  because  they  were  both  competent  men  and 
familiar  with  nautical  affairs.  And  they,  in  addition  to  their 
own  knowledge  and  that  of  the  said  Cristdval  Colon,  instructed 
him  and  assisted  him  in  many  things  which  were  of  value  on  the 
said  voyage."  In  replying  to  another  query,  the  same  witness 
repeats :  "  After  the  return  of  the  said  Don  Cristdval  Colon 
from  their  Majesties'  Court  to  the  town  of  Palos,  the  said 
Martin  Alonzo  assisted  and  aided  him  in  everything  that  was 
serviceable,  and  obtained  for  him  the  men  necessary  for  making 
the  said  voyage."  In  a  third  answer  he  says  :  "  In  order  to  go 
in  company  with  the  said  Admiral,  the  said  Martin  Alonzo 
found  all  the  equipment  and  people,  for  he  was  held  in  much 
esteem  in  this  town  in  all  that  concerned  the  sea,  and  was  wiss 
in  such  matters  and  a  man  of  much  courage." 


APPENDIX.  361 

Still  more :  Arias  Perez,  the  son  of  Martin  Alonzo,  although 
doing  his  utmost  to  belittle  the  achievements  of  Columbus  and 
transfer  to  his  own  father  the  chief  glories  of  the  Discovery, 
testified  in  the  same  suit:  "That  when  the  Admiral  retttrned 
from  the  Court  he  brought  a  warrant  from  their  Majesties  and  a 
certain  order  to  go  with  three  ships  to  discover  those  lands  ;  and 
that  when  the  said  Admiral  arrived  in  this  town  of  Palos  there 
was  no  man  who  dared  to  go  with  him,  or  even  to  let  him  have 
ships ;  all  declaring  that  if  he  went  he  would  never  find  land. 
Seeing  that  there  was  no  means  of  getting  either  ships  or  men, 
he  exerted  himself  greatly  in  persuading  the  said  Martin  Alonzo; 
exhibiting  to  him  the  bounties  which  their  Majesties  would  give 
him  [Columbus]  for  discovering  land,  and  then  saying  that  he 
would  share  with  Martin  Alonzo  the  half  of  these  if  he  went 
with  him,  and  that  he  should  be  the  chief  captain,  and  that  as  a 
man  who,  with  his  relatives,  could  do  it,  he  ought  to  undertake 
it  for  their  Majesties'  service." 

In  the  face  of  this  positive  evidence  we  think  it  idle  to  argue, 
as  many  writers  do  and  as  some  of  Martin  Alonzo's  own  friends 
(including  this  very  Arias  Perez  in  another  place)  did,  that 
Columbus  met  the  Pinzons  before  going  to  Granada,  and  was 
indebted  to  them  for  the  means  and  encouragement  with  which 
he  prosecuted  his  final  suit  before  the  queen.  The  prior  and 
the  young  physician  furnished  the  moral  support,  and  her 
Majesty  herself  the  financial  help  needed,  in  the  manner  de 
scribed  in  our  opening  chapters. 

That  the  Pinzons  afforded  invaluable  aid  and  received  there 
for  a  share  in  the  products  of  the  voyage,  is  beyond  dispute ; 
but  we  look  upon  their  connection  as  clearly  beginning  after 
Columbus  had  adjusted  his  contract  with  the  Crown  and  re 
ceived  the  peremptory  authority  conveyed  in  the  decrees  of 
3Oth  April. 

NOTE   H. 

THE  THREE  SHIPS   OF  PALOS. 

COLUMBUS  signed  his  contract,  or  capitulation,  with  Ferdi 
nand  and  Isabella  on  the  I7th  day  of  April,  1492.  On  May 
30,  the  same  day  on  which  the  decrees  were  signed  which 
conferred  upon  him  the  extensive  powers  over  the  ships  and 
mariners  of  all  Andalusia,  the  sovereigns  issued  their  edict  ex 
pelling  the  Jews  from  Spain.  By  the  harsh  terms  of  this  ordi 
nance  the  unfortunate  Israelites  had  to  leave  the  kingdom  by 


362  APPENDIX. 

the  3ist  day  of  July.  According  to  the  most  moderate  estimates, 
no  less  than  200,000  emigrated  in  the  interim ;  some  respectable 
authorities  swell  the  number  to  800,000.  Very  many  of  these 
exiles  went  by  sea  to  the  Barbary  ports,  to  Italy,  and  to  the 
Levant ;  and  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  their  requirements  for 
ship-room  materially  reduced  the  number  of  vessels  available  for 
other  foreign  service  at  that  season.  This  may  account,  in 
part,  for  the  difficulty  in  providing  a  squadron  for  Columbus,  to 
neutralize  which  such  broad  discretion  was  vested  in  him. 

The  careful  reader  of  history  will  have  observed  that  the  royal 
warrants  given  Columbus  for  this  end  were  two  in  number:  the 
one  addressed  to  the  civil  authorities  of  the  whole  province, 
calling  upon  them  to  provide  three  ships  for  his  use ;  the  other 
addressed  to  the  representatives  of  the  Crown  in  the  single  port 
of  Palos,  referring  specifically  to  the  two  vessels  which  that 
town  was  obliged  to  furnish  upon  demand,  in  discharge  of  the 
penalty  imposed  upon  it  by  sentence  of  the  Royal  Council. 
From  this  we  may  infer  that  if  he  failed  to  find  what  he  wanted 
in  Palos,  he  was  to  seek  the  ships  in  the  other  ports  of  that 
maritime  district ;  and,  in  any  event,  was  to  call  on  the  superior 
authorities  to  assist  him. 

Palos  was  an  active  and  enterprising  community  in  those 
days.  Its  importance  as  a  seaport  may  be  inferred  from  a 
decree  of  1478,  which  bestowed  upon  it  special  immunities  and 
privileges  for  the  despatch  from  its  harbor  of  vessels  destined 
for  the  jealously  guarded  foreign  trade.  Ships  were  constantly 
leaving  the  little  port  on  what  were  then  adventurous  voyages,  — 
to  the  Canaries  and  Azores,  the  northern  and  western  coasts  of 
Africa,  Flanders,  and  England ;  so  the  presumption  must  have 
been  that  it  was  a  promising  place  in  which  to  seek  the  vessels 
and  crews  needed  for  the  perilous  venture  out  into  the  Sea 
of  Darkness.  But  it  has  seemed  to  us,  after  a  painstaking 
study  of  all  the  evidence  in  hand,  and  a  comparison  of  the  re 
lations  existing  between  the  physician  Garcia  Fernandez,  the 
Pinzons,  Columbus,  the  prior  Fray  Juan  Perez,  Diego  Prieto, 
the  alcalde  mayor,  and  others,  and  the  respective  parts  taken  by 
them  both  at  this  time  and  in  after  years,  that  the  possibility  of 
using  the  penalty  under  which  Palos  lay  was  suggested  to 
Columbus  at  the  time  of  his  visit  to  La  Rabida,  and  had  an  im 
portant  influence  upon  the  action  of  Fray  Juan  Perez.  The 
village  mayor,  Diego  Prieto,  was  certainly  summoned  to  court 
at  the  time  the  worthy  guardian  was  making  his  appeal  to  the 
queen,  and  was  the  medium  chosen  to  communicate  her  Maj 
esty's  encouraging  response  and  largess  to  Columbus  while  the 


APPENDIX.  363 

latter  was  awaiting  the  superior's  return  at  La  Rabida.  When 
Columbus  himself  returned  from  Granada,  a  few  months  later, 
he  brought  the  order  to  press  the  two  bounden  vessels  into  his 
service;  and  since,  by  the  physician's  own  testimony,  it  was 
not  until  this  latter  date  that  Columbus  consulted  with  the  Pin- 
zons,  we  are  led  again  to  conclude  that  the  suggestion  to  utilize 
this  penalty  emanated  from  some  one  of  the  townspeople  well 
acquainted  with  its  shipping  interests,  and  from  the  very  outset 
favorably  disposed  toward  Columbus.  This  one  was,  we  feel 
justified  in  assuming,  none  other  than  the  sagacious  and  helpful 
village  doctor. 

In  relating  the  embarrassments  encountered  in  fitting  out  the 
expedition  and  the  dilatory  proceedings  of  the  men  of  Palos, 
we  have  followed  the  records  as  they  exist  in  the  many  docu 
ments  referring  to  the  period.  To  bring  the  events  more 
vividly  before  our  readers,  we  have  transposed  literally  the  evi 
dence  given  in  1513-1515  concerning  the  stirring  days  which 
fell  upon  Palos  in  the  summer  of  1492. 


NOTE   I. 

THE  FIRST  SIGHT   OF   THE   NEW  WORLD. 

WASHINGTON  IRVING,  following  a  mistaken  conjecture  of 
Navarrete,  censures  Columbus  for  having  accepted  from  his 
sovereigns  the  bounty  promised  by  them  to  whomever  should 
first  see  land,  to  the  manifest  injury  of  that  one  of  the  seamen 
who  gave  the  warning-cry  on  the  night  of  October  12.  "  It  may 
at  first  sight,"  says  Mr.  Irving,  "  appear  but  little  accordant 
with  the  acknowledged  magnanimity  of  Columbus  to  have  borne 
away  the  prize  from  this  poor  sailor ;  but  this  was  a  subject  in 
which  his  whole  ambition  was  involved,  and  he  was  doubtless 
proud  of  being  personally  the  discoverer  of  the  land  as  well  as 
the  projector  of  the  enterprise."  Passing  over  the  questionable 
ethics  involved  in  this  suggestion,  as  to  the  saving  grace  of 
ambition  as  a  sufficient  justification  for  an  act  of  rank  robbery, 
we  think  the  charge  wholly  at  variance  with  the  recorded 
facts.  Mr.  Irving's  "  Life  and  Voyages  of  Columbus  "  is,  to 
say  truth,  but  little  more  than  a  graceful  and  elegant  English 
version  of  the  patient  labors  of  Navarrete  and  the  gossiping 
pages  of  Las  Casas;  and  the  errors  of  his  authors  have  in  many 
cases  been  incorporated  textually  into  his  own  work  by  the 


364  APPENDIX. 

gifted  romancer  of  Sunnyside.  Unfortunately  the  view  pro 
pounded  in  Irving's  "Life"  has  found  general  credence;  and 
very  recently  we  have  seen  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  consci 
entious  of  American  critics  commenting  upon  this  incident  as 
having  "  subjected  his  [Columbus's]  memory,  not  unnaturally, 
to  some  discredit,  at  least  with  those  who  reckon  magnanimity 
among  the  virtues." 

In  both  these  cases  the  American  historians  base  their  charge 
upon  the  critical  note  given  in  Navarrete  (vol.  iii.  p.  611),  "  On 
the  first  sight  of  land  in  the  New  World."  With  all  diffidence 
we  conceive  that  the  learned  Spanish  scholar,  the  ingenious 
novelist,  and  the  acute  critic  have  alike  been  misled  in  the  pre 
mises,  and  have  left  erroneously  a  stain  upon  the  fame  of  the 
Admiral  which  he  in  no  wise  merited.  Navarrete  himself  be 
gins  his  Note  by  saying:  "  In  order  to  investigate  this  point,  it 
is  necessary  to  keep  in  view  what  the  Admiral  says  in  his 
diary  regarding  Thursday,  Oct.  n,  1492;"  and  in  a  footnote  he 
again  refers  to  "  what  the  Admiral  says."  He  then  quotes  at 
length  from  the  entry  given  in  the  diary  under  the  date  named. 
If  we,  however,  turn  to  the  diary  itself,  we  shall  find  (the  more 
pity !)  that  it  is  not  Columbus  himself  who  there  is  speaking, 
but  Las  Casas ;  summarizing,  as  was  too  often  his  wont,  the 
language  of  the  Admiral  from  the  manuscript  journal  as  it  lay 
open  before  the  pious  bishop  in  his  monastic  quarters  in  San 
Domingo.  The  record  begins  :  — 

"Thursday,  n  of  October. //^sailed  to  the  S.  S.  W. ;  they  had  much 
more  sea  than  they  had  had  in  all  the  voyage.  They  saw  some  spar 
rows  and  a  green  rush  close  to  the  ship.  Those  of  the  '  Pinta '  saw  a 
cane,  and  picked  up  another  little  stick  worked,  as  it  appeared,  with 
an  iron  tool.  Those  of  the  'Nina'  also  saw  other  indications  of  land 
and  a  branch  covered  with  blossoms.  With  these  signs  all  breathed 
freely  and  were  cheered.  They  sailed  this  day  up  to  sunset  27  leagues. 
After  sundown  he  pursued  his  original  course  to  the  West.  They 
made  12  miles  [Spanish]  per  hour,  and  up  to  two  o'clock  after  mid 
night  made  90  miles,  which  are  22^  leagues.  And  because  the  caravel 
'  Pinta '  was  the  swiftest  sailer,  and  was  going  ahead  of  the  Admiral, 
she  found  land  and  made  the  signals  which  the  Admiral  had  com 
manded.  This  land  a  sailor  named  Rodrigo  de  Triana  first  saw ; 
although  the  Admiral  at  10  o'clock  in  the  night,  being  on  the  '  castle  ' 
of  the  poop,  saw  a  light ;  albeit  it  was  something  so  dim  that  he  did 
not  wish  to  affirm  it  was  land,  but  called  to  Pedro  Gutierrez,  cham 
berlain  to  the  king,  and  told  him  that  it  looked  like  a  light,  that  he 
[Gutierrez]  should  mark  it ;  and  thus  he  [Gutierrez]  did  and  saw  it. 
He  [Columbus]  also  called  to  Rodrigo  Sanchez,  of  Segovia,  whom  the 
king  and  queen  sent  with  the  fleet  as  Inspector,  who  saw  nothing, 


APPENDIX.  365 

because  he  was  not  in  a  place  where  he  could  see.  After  the  Admiral 
mentioned  it,  it  was  seen  once  or  twice,  and  was  like  a  small  wax  can 
dle  which  was  being  raised  and  lowered  ;  which  to  few  would  seem  to 
be  an  indication  of  land.  But  the  Admiral  had  been  confident  that  he 
was  near  land  ;  for  which  reason,  when  they  recited  the  Salve  Regina 
(which  all  sailors  are  accustomed  to  say  or  sing  after  their  fashion, 
and  gather  together  for  the  purpose),  the  Admiral  asked  and  warned 
them  that  they  should  keep  a  sharp  watch  in  the  '  castle  '  at  the  bow, 
and  should  look  well  for  land  ;  and  that  to  whomsoever  should  first  call 
out  that  he  saw  land,  he  [the  Admiral]  would  give  at  once  a  silk  doublet 
in  addition  to  the  other  bounties  which  the  sovereigns  had  promised, 
—  which  were  10,000  maravedies  of  pension  to  whomever  should  first 
see  land.  At  two  o'clock  after  midnight  the  land  appeared,  from 
which  they  were  distant  two  leagues.  They  shortened  all  sail,  and  re 
mained  with  the  squaresail,  which  is  the  mainsail  without  '  bonnets,' 
and  hove  to  until  the  morning  of  Friday,  when  they  arrived  at  a  small 
island  [isleta]  of  the  Lucayos,  called  in  the  language  of  the  Indians 
Guanahani." 

The  careful  and  always  candid  Navarrete  finds  this  passage 
obscure,  contradictory,  and  misleading.  After  discussing  it  and 
comparing  it  with  the  testimony  of  three  eyewitnesses  (given  in 
the  lawsuit  in  1519),  all  of  whom  speak  of  Juan  Bermejo,  or 
Juan  Rodriguez  Bermejo,  as  having  been  the  one  who  first 
descried  land,  he  concludes :  — 

"The  final  result  is,  ...  that  the  reward  of  the  10,000  maravedies 
annually  which  the  sovereigns  granted  the  Admiral  during  his  life 
'  because  he  first,  before  any  other,  has  discovered  the  land  of  the  said 
islands  '  [decree  cited],  was  one  of  those  favors  common  in  Courts; 
when,  after  the  death  of  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  the  influence  of  the 
Admiral  grew  and  spread,  as  a  sequence  to  the  fortunate  outcome  of 
an  adventure  previously  regarded  with,  at  least,  distrust ;  and  after 
ward  as  the  most  notable  and  of  the  greatest  consequences  which  the 
annals  of  modern  times  rehearse." 

No  one  can  accuse  Sefior  Navarrete  of  any  bias  against  the 
great  navigator ;  in  this  criticism  of  one  of  the  most  romantic 
incidents  of  a  voyage  fruitful  in  all  the  elements  of  romantic  ad 
venture  he  is  unquestionably  sincere.  Nevertheless,  we  think 
him  to  be  mistaken  in  laying  this  charge  of  petty  envy  and  fraud 
at  the  Admiral's  door,  and  for  the  following  reasons :  — 

First.  The  whole  passage  in  the  diary  which  records  the 
sighting  of  land  is  not,  as  Navarrete  twice  calls  it,  "  what  the 
Admiral  says."  It  is,  beyond  all  peradventure,  the  summary 
condensed  by  Las  Casas  from  the  original  text  of  Columbus. 
The  literal  transcription  of  the  Admiral's  journal  begins  on  the 
following  day,  —  October  12,  —  and  both  then  and  thereafter  is 


366  APPENDIX. 

plainly  marked  by  the  use  of  the  first  person  and  the  greater 
prolixity  and  naivetf  of  the  writer's  account.  This  we  have 
utilized  in  our  narrative.  But  that  the  language  of  the  entry 
under  Thursday,  October  n,  is  Las  Casas's,  appears  not  only 
from  the  use  of  the  words  "he,"  "they,"  "the  Admiral,"  but 
also  from  his  description  of  the  island  discovered.  How  could 
Columbus,  on  the  very  day  of  his  arrival  in  the  New  World, 
know  that  the  island  was  called  Guanahanf  ?  And,  far  more, 
how  could  he  know  that  it  was  one  of  a  group  to  be  christened 
in  after  years  "  the  Lucayos  "  ? 

Secondly.  The  journal,  as  it  existed  for  Navarrete  and  exists 
for  us,  does  not  claim  that  the  light  seen  by  Columbus  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night  —  or  four  hours  before  land  was  sighted — was 
on  Guanahanf  itself.  Las  Casas,  in  his  own  delightful  History, 
gives  us  his  theory  of  what  the  light  was,  based  upon  many 
years'  life  among  the  Indians  of  the  islands  now  discovered  by 
Columbus.  Unhappily  the  Bishop's  solution  of  the  vexed  point 
will  not  bear  translation.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  he  sees  no  in 
herent  improbability  in  the  claim  of  Columbus  to  have  seen  a 
light  four  hours  before  land  showed  itself,  and  even  assumes 
that  this  light  was  on  land.  Whether  that  land  was  Guanahanf 
or  another  island  passed  four  hours  before  the  latter  was  sighted, 
must  depend  on  the  identification  of  the  "true  Guanahanf." 
Upon  this  subject  our  next  note  touches.  It  is  enough  for  our 
present  purpose  that  we  make  clear  the  fact  that  Columbus  did 
see  a  light,  and  that  he  instantly  published  the  discovery ;  but 
that  he  does  not  claim  that  it  was  on  the  same  island  afterward 
seen  by  Juan  Rodriguez  Bermejo  from  the  "  Pinta." 

Thirdly.  The  language  of  the  diary  impresses  us  as  being 
straightforward  in  its  relation ;  if  it  is  somewhat  involved  in 
structure,  it  differs  in  no  wise  from  the  whole  literature  of  the 
period.  There  does  not  seem  to  be  any  difficulty  in  reading  a 
coherent  account  of  the  day's  incidents,  even  in  the  abbreviated 
version  of  the  Admiral's  own  words  which  Las  Casas  has  left. 
All  day  long  the  squadron  sailed  a  south-southwest  course ; 
unmistakable  signs  of  nearing  land  were  seen  from  all  the  ships  ; 
Columbus,  in  virtue  of  these,  held  that  land  was  at  hand ;  and 
at  sunset,  when  the  sailors  gathered  together  to  intone  the  Even 
ing  Hymn  to  the  Virgin,  he  strenuously  urged  a  sharp  lookout, 
and  promised  a  personal  reward  to  whomever  should  first  espy 
land,  in  addition  to  the  sovereigns'  promised  pension ;  the  course 
was  then  changed  to  west  (Las  Casas  was  a  priest,  not  a  sailor, 
and  his  courses  may  not  always  be  correct);  Columbus  himself 
took  his  station  in  the  tall  structure  built  in  the  stern  of  his 


APPENDIX.  367 

vessel ;  at  ten  o'clock  he  saw  a  light,  but  "  did  not  wish  to  affirm 
it  was  land  ;  "  he  called  one  of  the  royal  officers,  who  confirmed 
the  existence  of  the  light;  a  second  Crown  official  did  not  see 
it,  owing  to  his  unfavorable  position.  That  he  was  called  for 
the  purpose  is  explicitly  stated,  and  has  never  been  disputed. 
Thus  far  the  record  seems  clear  enough.  After  showing  once 
or  twice  again  the  light  disappeared.  "  To  few  would  it  appear 
to  be  a  sign  of  land,"  says  the  diary.  If  the  words  are  Colum- 
bus's  own,  his  frankness  should  be  the  strongest  proof  of  the 
correctness  of  his  story.  If  they  are  Las  Casas's,  they  are  a 
tribute  to  the  Admiral's  shrewdness,  and  not  a  doubt  cast  upon 
his  veracity ;  for  Las  Casas  was  a  believer  in  Columbus's  ac 
count  of  the  incident.  The  fleet  swept  swiftly  on  for  four  hours ; 
at  two  o'clock  A.  M.,  just  as  the  moon  broke  through  the  clouds, 
a  sailor  on  the  "  Pinta,"  Juan  Rodriguez  Bermejo  by  name,  saw 
the  white  sands  ahead,  and  gave  the  warning  signal.  The 
Admiral  himself  recorded  this  in  his  diary;  and  that  diary 
was  written  especially  for  the  perusal  of  the  sovereigns  of 
Spain,  subject  to  the  confirmation  or  dissent  of  Rodrigo  San 
chez,  their  Majesties'  Inspector.  Where,  then,  is  there  any 
deception,  —  any  attempt  to  defraud  "  a  poor  sailor "  of  his 
reward  ? 

Fourthly.  The  whole  question  turns  on  whether  Columbus 
saw  a  light  or  not.  If  he  did,  we  think  he  was  fairly  entitled  to 
claim  to  have  been  the  first  to  sight  land,  —  as  much  so  as  though 
he  had  seen  a  mountain  by  day.  On  a  fresh,  almost  stormy  night 
Indians  were  not  likely  to  be  out  at  sea  in  their  frail  craft;  and 
even  if  by  any  stress  they  were,  they  would  not  carry  lights  in 
their  boats  as  modern  yachtsmen  would.  Therefore  we  believe 
that  the  light  was  on  shore,  that  it  was  visible  from  Columbus's 
lofty  station  as  the  flagship  sped  on  in  the  darkness,  and  that 
whoever  descried  it  "  first  discovered  land  "  in  an  entirely  legiti 
mate  acceptation  of  the  phrase.  Such  of  my  readers  as  have 
approached  a  strange  coast  at  night  after  a  long  cruise  in  un 
familiar  and  shipless  waters  will  at  least  concur  that  such  a  light 
means  land. 

Fifthly.  The  fact  that  Columbus  in  his  diary  calls  the  "poor 
sailor  "  Rodrigo  de  Triana  when  the  other  witnesses  call  him 
Juan  Rodriguez,  Juan  Bermejo,  or  Juan  Rodriguez  Bermejo, 
does  not  seery  to  be  an  incoherence.  Triana  is  the  name  of  a 
castle  and  its  village  near  Seville,  —  rather  famous,  in  later  days, 
as  a  place  of  incarcaration  for  "heretics  "  awaiting  the  fiery  re 
lease  of  the  autos  da  ft/.  One  of  the  witnesses  cited  says  that 
Bermejo  "was  a  townsman  of  Molinos,  in  the  Seville  district" 


368  APPENDIX. 

(tierra) ;  another  that  he  was  "  of  Seville."  Rodrigo  was  con 
stantly  substituted  for  Rodriguez ;  probably  the  names  were 
often  indistinguishable  in  the  crabbed  writing  of  the  times;  and 
the  substitution  of  one  suburb  of  Seville  for  another  is  scarcely 
an  indication  of  an  intention  to  mislead. 

Under  these  circumstances,  we  think  that  Columbus  should 
stand  relieved  of  the  charge  of  bad  faith  thus  lightly  brought 
against  him.  We  have  presented  the  record  as  it  exists,  and 
submit  that  there  is  no  sufficient  ground  for  charging  the  Ad 
miral  with  so  unnecessary  and  clumsy  a  fraud. 


NOTE   J. 

WHERE   IS   THE    "  TRUE   GUANAHAXl"  "  ? 

"  IT  is  a  matter  of  controversy  which  of  the  Bahama  group 
was  Guanaham,  the  first  land  seen  by  Columbus,"  writes,  in 
recent  days,  one  of  the  best  informed  of  Americanists.  "  The 
main,  or  rather  the  only,  source  for  the  decision  of  this  question 
is  the  journal  of  Columbus ;  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  Las 
Casas  did  not  leave  unabridged  the  parts  preceding  the  land 
fall,  as  he  did  those  immediately  following,  down  to  October  29. 
Not  a  word  outside  of  this  journal  is  helpful." 

Seven  islands  dispute  the  honor  of  being  the  "true  Guana- 
hanf,"  and  each  has  its  able  champions.  San  Salvador,  or  Cat; 
Watling's ;  Grand  Turk;  Mariguana;  Saman6,  or  Attwood's; 
Acklin's,  and  Crooked  islands  have  in  turn  been  presented  as 
the  Gate  of  the  New  World.  Apart  from  the  testimony  of 
ancient  charts,  the  impartiality  of  which  in  applying  the  name 
Guanahanf  to  nearly  every  one  of  the  islands  mentioned  robs 
them  wholly  of  reliability,  most  of  the  arguments  as  to  the  real 
scene  of  Columbus's  landing  turn  upon  careful  computations 
of  the  distances  and  courses  sailed  by  him  after  leaving  Ferro, 
as  laid  down  day  by  day  in  his  diary.  That  these  are  confusing 
and  lead  to  widely  varying  conclusions,  is  evident  from  the  sev 
eral  islands  fixed  upon  by  the  different  investigators  as  being 
"  determined  "  under  this  system.  For  our  own  part,  we  have 
eschewed  these  ingenious  calculations  as  liable  to  much  inevita 
ble  error,  —  both  because,  in  frequent  copying,  distances  and 
courses  alike  must  have  in  many  instances  suffered  more  than  a 
sea-change,  and  because,  from  the  imperfection  of  his  instru 
ments,  Columbus  himself  must  often  have  had  to  depend  wholly 
upon  his  skill  as  an  approximator.  We  have  found,  however, 


APPENDIX.  369 

sufficient  data  in  the  diary  of  Columbus  and  in  the  pages  of  his 
friend  Las  Casas  to  be  not  only  "helpful"  in  determining  this 
most  interesting  question,  but  (under  correction  be  it  said)  to 
establish  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt  which  was  the  "true 
Guanahani." 

Much  importance  is  attached  by  some  critics  to  an  alleged 
confusion  in  the  Admiral's  own  description  of  San  Salvador. 
In  some  places  he  calls  it,  they  say,  "  a  small  island  "  (una  isleta) ; 
and  elsewhere  "  quite  large  "  (bien  grande).  If  the  Spanish  text 
is  carefully  examined,  however,  we  think  it  will  be  found  that 
no  such  confusion  exists.  On  the  nth  of  October,  in  the 
diary,  it  is  called  "  a  small  island  of  the  Lucayos ,  "  but,  as  be 
fore  remarked,  this  is  plainly  Las  Casas's  interpolation.  To 
the  good  monk,  writing  thirty  years  after,  on  the  huge  island  of 
San  Domingo,  any  one  of  the  Bahamas  would  be  "small."  On 
the  I3th  of  October  the  Admiral's  own  language  is  given  textu- 
ally ;  and  here  he  says  "  this  island  is  pretty  large  "  (Esta  isla 
es  bien  grande).  On  the  I4th,  when  rowing  along  shore,  he  saw 
a  "bit  of  land  which  is  like  an  island,  but  is  not  one;"  and  a 
little  later  on  he  refers  to  this  peninsula  as  "the  said  little 
island  "  (isleta).  This  clearly  does  not  refer  to  the  mainland  of 
Guanahani.  On  the  i6th  he  calls  Fernandina  (the  present 
Exuma)  "very  large,"  in  comparison  with  Guanahanf.  On 
November  20,  Las  Casas,  in  summarizing  the  Admiral's  entry 
for  that  date,  calls  even  Isabella  (the  present  Isla  Larga)  an 
isleta,  —  a  small  island,  as  it  surely  is  in  comparison  with  San 
Domingo,  where  he  was  then  writing.  Thus  it  seems  to  us  that, 
properly  studied,  no  confusion  is  apparent  in  the  record  touch 
ing  the  size  of  Guanahani.  Columbus  himself  does,  indeed,  at 
a  later  date  refer  to  it  once  as  an  isleta ;  but  we  must  remember 
that  he  had  then  explored  the  endless  coasts  of  Cuba  and  His- 
paniola,  and  to  him  then  the  island  first  found  in  the  Indies  was 
in  truth  "  small."  If  it  had  seemed  only  "  pretty  large  "  when 
seen  for  the  first  time  after  weeks  of  tedious  voyaging,  how  could 
it  appear  other  than  small  with  the  images  of  the  vast  bulks  of 
the  giant  Antilles  still  fresh  in  his  memory? 

The  only  reference  to  the  physical  characteristics  of  Guana 
hani,  beyond  those  given  by  the  Admiral  in  describing  his  visit 
to  it  which  we  have  incorporated  in  our  narrative,  is  found  in 
his  diary  under  date  of  Jan.  5,  1493.  In  speaking  of  his  land 
ing  on  the  island  near  Monte  Christi,  on  the  northern  coast  of 
Hispaniola.  he  says  (or  Las  Casas  for  him)  "  he  found  there 
many  tinted  stones,  or  quarry  of  such  stones  hewn  by  nature, 
very  beautiful  for  royal  or  church  edifices,  like  those  which  he 

24 


370  APPENDIX. 

found  on  the  isleta  of  San  Salvador."  Outside  of  this  the  diary 
makes  no  further  mention  which  would  serve  in  distinguishing 
the  true  Guanahani  from  its  rivals. 

But  Las  Casas  in  his  own  work  settles  the  question  for  us 
beyond  peradventure.  Writing  in  1525,  or  thereabouts,  in  the 
adjoining  island  of  San  Domingo ;  possessing  Columbus's  origi 
nal  journal  and  many  of  his  other  writings,  his  chart,  and  a  num 
ber  of  relics ;  a  participant  in  numberless  conversations  with  the 
Discoverer  himself,  —  the  Friend  of  the  Indians  was  surely  com 
petent  to  know  which  of  the  neighboring  Bahamas  was  the 
island  first  trodden  by  Columbus.  That  he  was  personally  fa 
miliar  with  it  is  shown  by  one  expression  where,  in  commenting 
upon  the  landing,  the  bishop  says,  "  And  I  am  surprised  that 
he  (the  Admiral)  does  not  say  that  he  found  salt ;  for  there  are 
in  that  isleta  (that  is,  Guanahani)  very  good  salt-pits  "  (salinas). 
This  is  not  in  itself  conclusive,  however,  since  the  same  might 
be  said  of  several  other  islands  in  the  same  archipelago.  But 
when,  in  giving  his  own  account  of  Columbus's  discovery,  Las 
Casas  describes  the  incidents  attending  the  taking  possession, 
he  Inserts  parenthetically  this  observation  of  his  own :  "  This 
land  was  and  is  an  island  of  fifteen  leagues  in  length,  a  little 
more  or  less"  (Esta  tierra  era  y  es  una  isla  de  15  leguas  de 
luengo,  poco  mas  6  menos). 

This  seems  to  us  to  be  final,  when  the  circumstances  are  all 
duly  weighed.  Las  Casas's  perfect  acquaintance  with  the  facts 
as  related  by  Columbus  in  conversation  and  recorded  in  his 
charts  and  writings ;  his  familiarity  with  the  West  India 
islands  (for  the  good  father  had  visited  most  of  them  in  the 
course  of  his  devoted  labors  in  behalf  of  the  natives)  ;  and  the 
fact  that,  as  his  own  writings  testify,  he  had  taken  pains  to  in 
terrogate  all  the  accessible  survivors  of  Columbus's  first  voyage 
concerning  the  events  of  the  discovery,  —  all  add  credit  to  the 
assertion  he  makes.  Moreover,  mark  the  emphatic  use  of  the 
present  tense,  —  " This  island  was  and  is"  Evidently  he  in 
tended  to  establish  a  point  already  in  some  dispute. 

The  description  given  by  Las  Casas,  when  taken  in  connec 
tion  with  the  many  allusions  made  in  the  diary  to  Guanahanf,  is 
applicable  only  to  Cat  Island,  or  San  Salvador,  as  it  is  com 
monly  called  abroad.  Fifteen  Spanish  leagues,  old  style,  are 
forty-five  of  our  English  miles.  Watling's  Island  is  thirteen 
miles  long;  Grand  Turk,  less  than  six;  Mariguana,  twenty- 
three  and  a  half;  Attwood's  Cay,  nine;  Crooked  Island, 
twenty. 

San  Salvador,  or  Cat  Island,  and  Acklin's  alone  have  the 


APPENDIX.  371 

requisite  length ;  for  accurate  surveys  make  them  each  about 
forty-three  miles  long.  The  controversy  should  thus  seem  to  be 
narrowed  down  to  these  two  claimants.  But  Cat  Island  is  the 
only  one  which  possesses  the  other  requisites  for  an  identifica 
tion  with  Guanahani, —  such  as  its  distance  from  other  islands 
mentioned,  its  position  with  reference  to  them,  etc.;  while  Ack- 
lin's  Island  does  not  fulfil  any  of  these  requirements. 

Even  considered  by  itself,  we  find  this  explicit  declaration  of 
Las  Casas  to  be  conclusive.  Taken  in  connection  with  the  ad 
mirable  arguments  of  Mackenzie  and  Humboldt,  and  the  per 
sistency  with  which  from  the  earliest  times  Cat  Island  has  held 
the  title  of  San  Salvador,  we  see  no  possibility  of  disputing,  in 
justice,  its  claim  to  be  the  "  true  Guanahani,"  — the  first  of  the 
Golden  Indies  visited  by  the  great  Genoese  and  his  companions 
of  the  immortal  Discovery. 

Another  instance  of  the  interest  taken  by  Las  Casas  in 
establishing  a  correct  knowledge  of  San  Salvador  is  given  in 
the  pains  which  he  takes  to  give  the  true  pronunciation  of  the 
Indian  name.  It  should  be  called  Guanahani,  he  insists,  "with 
the  accent  on  the  last  syllable,"  and  not  Guanahdni. 


MONK  AND  KNIGHT. 

In  |lfist<jrfcal  Stiitog  in  fiiditm. 
BY  THE  REV.  DR.  F.  W.  GUNSAULUS. 

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as  the  author  prefers  to  call  it,  "An  Historical  Study  in  Fiction." 
It  is  the  result  of  long  and  careful  study  of  the  period  of  which  it 
treats,  and  hence  is  the  product  of  genuine  sympathies  and  a 
freshly-fired  imagination.  The  field  is  Europe,  and  the  period  is 
the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  —  a  time  when  the  fading 
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of  the  dawning  Reformation. 

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relieve  the  more  sombre  coloring.  The  memorable  meeting  of  the 
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to  the  severest  test ;  while  the  Waldensian  heroes  in  then-  mountain 
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The  volume  covers  just  about  as  much  ground  as  the  general 
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EDUCATION  and  THE  HIGHER  LIFE. 

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READING  these  essays,  one  feels  urged  to  purer  thinking  and 
nobler  doing.  They  incite  to  excellence  of  mind  and  to  excellence 
of  soul.  To  one  who  feels  pessimistic,  narrow-minded,  narrow- 
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This  is  not  a  large  work,  but  it  is  a  practical  and  valuable  one. 
It  is  full  of  nuggets  of  golden  counsel.  It  is  impossible  to  read 
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youth  of  our  land.  It  would  tend  to  enlighten  their  minds  as  to 
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learned  and  eloquent  man.  There  are  many  things  wisely  and  well 
said  in  this  collection  of  essays.  — Living  Church,  Chicago. 

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place  in  the  estimation  of  those  who  can  appreciate  high  moral  and 
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LAUREL-CROWNED  TALES. 

ABDALLAH;  OR,  THE  FOUR-LEAVED  SHAMROCK.    ByEo- 
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of  the  Great  Writers  of  the  Past,  by  Great  Writers 

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especially  that  the  scheme  was  conceived  of  having  eminent  French 
writers  of  this  generation  prepare  monographs  upon  the  great  writers 
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their  own  country  but  of  the  age ;  and  the  translation  of  these  mono 
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These  French  monographs  have  a  power  of  compression  and  light 
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the  less  important  in  that  while  wholly  unassuming  and  untechnical, 
it  is  comprehensive,  scholarly,  and  thorough." 

Of   the  Standard  Symphonies,  the    "  Home  Journal "    (New 
York)  says: 

"  None  who  have  seen  the  previous  books  of  Mr.  Upton  will  need 
assurance  that  this  is  as  indispensable  as  the  others  to  one  who  would 
listen  intelligently  to  that  better  class  of  music  which  musicians  con 
gratulate  themselves  Americans  are  learning  to  appreciatively  enjoy." 


Sold  by  all  booksellers,  or  mailed,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

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COR.  WABASH  AVK.  AND  MADISON  ST.,  CHICAGO. 


THE    BEVERLEVS. 

A  Story  of  Calcutta. 

BY   MARY   ABBOTT, 

Author  of  "  Alexia,"  etc. 

I2mo,  264  pages.     Price,  $1.25. 


THE  uncommonly  favorable  reception  of  Mrs.  Abbott's  brilliant 
novelette,  "  Alexia,"  by  the  public  bespeaks  in  advance  a  lively 
interest  in  her  new  novel,  "  The  Beverleys."  It  is  a  more  extended 
and  ambitious  work  than  the  former,  but  has  the  same  grace  of  style 
and  liveliness  of  treatment,  together  with  a  much  more  considerable 
plot  and  more  subtle  delineations  of  character  and  life.  The  action 
of  the  story  takes  place  in  India,  and  reveals  on  the  part  of  the 
authoress  the  most  intimate  knowledge  of  the  official  life  of  the 
large  and  aristocratic  English  colony  in  Calcutta.  The  local  color 
ing  is  strong  and  unusual. 

A  more  joyous  story  cannot  be  imagined.  ...  A  harum-scarum 
good-nature;  a  frank  pursuit  of  cakes  and  ale;  a  heedless,  happy- 
go-lucky  spirit,  are  admirable  components  in  a  novel,  however  trying 
they  may  be  found  in  the  walks  of  daily  life.  Such  are  the  pleas 
ures  of  "The  Beverleys."  To  read  it  is  recreation,  indeed. — 
Public  Ledger,  Philadelphia. 

The  author  writes  throughout  with  good  taste,  and  with  a  quick 
eye  for  the  picturesque.  —  Herald,  New  York. 

It  is  a  pretty  story,  charmingly  written,  with  cleverly  sketched 
pictures  of  various  types  of  character  .  .  .  The  book  abounds  in 
keen,  incisive  philosophy,  wrapped  up  in  characteristic  remarks.  — 
Times,  Chicago 

An  absorbing  story.  It  is  brilliantly  and  vivaciously  written.  — 
Literary  World,  Boston. 

The  author  has  until  now  been  known,  so  far  as  we  are  aware, 
only  by  her  former  story,  "  Alexia."  Unless  signs  fail  which  sel 
dom  do  fail,  these  two  with  which  her  name  is  now  associated  are 
simply  the  forerunners  of  works  in  a  like  vein  of  which  American 
«;terature  will  have  reason  to  be  proud.  —  Standard,  Chicago. 


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MARTHA  COREY. 

A  TALE  OF  THE  SALEM  WITCHCRAFT. 

By  CONSTANCE  GODDARD  DU  Bois. 

I2mo,  314  pages.     Price,  $1.25. 


THE  same  material  drawn  upon  by  Longfellow  for  his  "  New 
England  Tragedies"  is  here  used  with  greater  fulness  and  with  no 
less  historical  exactitude.  The  story  has  for  its  background  the 
dark  and  gloomy  pictures  of  the  witchcraft  persecution,  of  which  it 
furnishes  a  thrilling  view.  It  is  remarkable  for  bold  imagination, 
wonderfully  rapid  action,  and  continued  and  absorbing  interest. 

In  short,  it  is  too  good  a  piece  of  fiction  to  be  accepted  as 
truth,  which  is  to  the  credit  of  the  author's  imaginative  powers; 
for  "  Martha  Corey  "  is  an  absorbing  tale.  —  Public  Ledger, 
Philadelphia. 

The  story  is  curious  and  quaint,  differing  totally  from  the 
novels  of  this  day  ;  and  the  pictures  of  life  among  the  early  in 
habitants  of  Massachusetts  show  that  the  author  has  been  an 
untiring  and  faithful  student  for  her  work.  —  Weekly  Item,  Phila 
delphia. 

The  characters  are  well  delineated ;  the  language  is  smooth  and 
refined ;  and  from  frequent  change  of  scene  and  character  the  book 
is  rendered  very  entertaining.  The  passions,  love  and  hate,  are 
carefully  analyzed  and  faithfully  described.  It  is  a  valuable  little 
book.  —  Globe,  Chicago. 

An  interesting  tale  of  love  and  intrigue.  .  .  .  Miss  Du  Bois 
has  given  us  a  very  readable  book,  and  has  succeeded  where  others 
have  failed.  —  Advertiser,  Boston. 

The  story  of  this  book  is  pleasantly  told ;  and  as  a  picture  of 
those  sad  times,  when  some  of  the  worst  and  the  best,  of  the  dark 
est  and  the  brightest,  of  the  most  hateful  and  the  most  lovable 
traits  of  human  nature  were  openly  manifested,  is  well  worth 
reading.  — Illustrated  Christian  Weekly,  New  York. 

A  story  of  marked  strength,  both  of  imagination  and  narration. 
—  Home  Journal,  New  York. 


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THE  BRIDGE  OF  THE  GODS. 

A  ROMANCE  OF  INDIAN  OREGON. 
By  F.  H.  BALCH. 

X2mo,  280  pages.     Price,  $1.23. 


THIS  is  a  masterly  and  original  delineation  of  Indian  life.  It 
is  a  strong  story,  charged  with  the  elemental  forces  of  the  human 
heart.  The  author  portrays  with  unusual  power  the  intense,  stern 
piety  of  the  ministers  of  colonial  New  England,  and  the  strange 
mingling  of  dignity,  superstition,  ferocity,  and  stoicism  that  char 
acterized  the  early  Indian  warriors. 

There  is  no  need  of  romancing,  and  Mr.  Balch's  scenic  descrip 
tions  are  for  all  practical  purposes  real  descriptions.  The  legends 
he  relates  of  the  great  bridge  which  once  spanned  the  Columbia, 
for  which  there  is  some  substantial  history,  adds  to  the  mystical 
charms  of  the  story.  His  Indian  characters  are  as  real  as  if  photo 
graphed  from  life.  No  writer  has  presented  a  finer  character  than 
the  great  chief  of  the  Willamettes,  Multnomah  ;  Snoqualmie  the 
Cayuse;  or  Tohomish  the  Seer.  The  night  visit  of  Multnomah  to 
the  tomb  of  his  dead  wife  upon  that  lonely  island  in  the  Willam 
ette  is  a  picture  that  will  forever  live  in  the  reader's  memory.  .  .  . 
To  those  who  have  traversed  the  ground,  and  know  something  of 
Indian  character  and  the  wild,  free  life  of  pioneer  days,  the  story 
will  be  charming  —Inter-Ocean,  Chicago. 

It  is  a  tnithful  and  realistic  picture  of  the  powerful  Indian  tribes 
that  inhabited  the  Oregon  country  two  centuries  ago.  ...  It  is  a 
book  that  will  be  of  value  as  a  historical  authority  ;  and  as  a  story 
of  interest  and  charm,  there  are  few  novels  that  can  rival  it.  — 
Traveller,  Boston. 

There  is  much  and  deep  insight  in  this  book.  The  characters 
stand  in  clear  outline,  and  are  original.  The  movement  of  the 
story  is  quick  and  varied,  like  the  running  water  of  the  great  river. 
—  The  Pacific,  San  Francisco. 

Its  field  is  new  for  fiction  ;  it  is  obviously  the  work  of  one  who 
has  bestowed  a  great  deal  of  study  on  the  subjects  he  would  illus 
trate.  It  is  very  interesting  reading,  fluently  written.  —  Times, 
Chicago. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers,  or  mailed,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

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COR  WABASH  AVK.  AND  MADISON  ST.,  CHICAGO. 


THE    STORY   OF   TONTY. 

AN    HISTORICAL    ROMANCE. 

By  Mrs.  MARY  HARTWELL  CATHERWOOP. 
I2mo,  224  pages.     Price,  $1.25. 


'  The  Story  of  Tonty  "  is  eminently  a  Western  story,  beginning 
at  Montreal,  tarrying  at  Fort  Frontenac,  and  ending  at  the  old  fort 
at  Starved  Rock,  on  the  Illinois  River.  It  weaves  the  adventures 
of  the  two  great  explorers,  the  intrepid  La  Salle  and  his  faithful 
lieutenant,  Tonty,  into  a  tale  as  thrilling  and  romantic  as  the  de 
scriptive  portions  are  brilliant  and  vivid.  It  is  superbly  illustrated 
with  twenty-three  masterly  drawings  by  Mr.  Enoch  Ward. 

Such  tales  as  this  render  service  past  expression  to  the  cause  of  his 
tory.  They  weave  a  spell  in  which  old  chronicles  are  vivified  and  breathe 
out  human  life  Mrs.  Catherwood,  in  thus  bringing  out  from  the  treasure- 
houses  of  half-forgotten  historical  record  things  new  and  old,  has  set  her 
self  one  of  the  worthiest  literary  tasks  of  her  generation,  and  is  showing 
herself  finely  adequate  to  its  fulfilment.  —  Transcript,  Boston. 

A  powerful  atpry  by  a  writer  newly  sprung  to  fame.  •  .  .  All  the 
century  we  have  been  waiting  for  the  deft  hand  that  could  put  flesh  upon 
the  dry  bones  of  our  early  heroes.  Here  is  a  recreation  indeed. .  . .  One 
comes  from  the  reading  of  the  romance  with  a  quickened  interest  in  our 
early  national  history,  and  a  profound  admiration  for  the  art  that  can  so 
transport  us  to  the  dreamful  realms  where  fancy  is  monarch  of  fact.  — 
Press,  Philadelphia. 

"The  Story  of  Tonty"  is  full  of  the  atmosphere  of  its  time.  It 
betrays  an  intimate  and  sympathetic  knowledge  of  the  great  age  of  ex 
plorers,  and  it  is  altogether  a  charming  piece  of  work.  —  Christian 
Union,  New  York. 

Original  in  treatment,  in  subject,  and  in  all  the  details  of  mise  en 
scene,  it  must  stand  unique  among  recent  romances.  —  News,  Chicago. 


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FACT,  FANCY,  AND  FABLE. 

A  NEW  HANDBOOK  FOR  READY  REFERENCE  ON  SUB 
JECTS  COMMONLY  OMITTED  FROM  CYCLOPAEDIAS. 
COMPILED  BY  HENRY  FREDERIC  REDDALL.  Large 
8vo,  536  pages.  Half  leather,  $3  50. 

In  half  morocco,  gilt  top,  $6.50. 


The  motto,  "Trifles  make  the  sum  of  human  things,"  could 
have  no  better  illustration  than  this  noble  collection  furnishes. 
It  comprises  personal  sobriquets,  familiar  phrases,  popular  appel 
lations,  geographical  nicknames,  literary  pseudonyms,  mythological 
characters,  red-letter  days,  political  slang,  contractions  and  abbre 
viations,  technical  terms,  foreign  words  and  phrases,  American 
isms,  etc.  The  work  is  compiled  after  a  distinct  plan,  and  with 
keen  discrimination  in  regard  to  what  is  admitted  and  what  ex 
cluded.  —  Journal  of  Education,  Boston. 

It  is  original  in  conception,  and  thorough  in  execution.  It 
brings  together,  alphabetically,  a  surprising  number  of  titles  from 
near  and  remote  sources,  that  are  very  necessary  in  reference  when 
they  are  not  indispensable  to  the  general  reader.  ...  It  supple 
ments  and  enlarges  the  usefulness  of  every  dictionary  and  all  the 
handbooks  the  dictionary  has  suggested.  —  Globe,  Boston. 

It  must  take  its  place  for  the  time  being  as  the  best  work  of  its 
kind  in  existence,  particularly  as  regards  American  topics.  — Sun, 
New  York. 

There  is  much  matter  in  the  volume  that  has  never  before  been 
collated.  .  .  .  Writers  and  readers  alike  will  find  this  work  ser 
viceable  and  trustworthy.  — Press,  Philadelphia. 

The  book  is  one  of  the  best  compilations  of  its  kind.  —  Critic, 
New  York. 


Sold  by  all  booksellers,  or  mailed,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

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COR.  WABASH  AVK.  AND  MADISON  ST.,  CHICAGO. 


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